Large unmanned undersea vehicle

A large unmanned undersea vehicle (LUUV or XLUUV) is a large unmanned underwater vehicle. They're a class of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that are significantly larger than traditional AUVs, which are typically used for tasks like surveying or mine countermeasures. Unlike smaller AUVs, XLUUVs are designed to operate for extended periods and carry larger payloads over vast distances without direct human control.

Design and characteristics

XLUUVs are characterized by their size and endurance. While there's no official standard for what constitutes "extra-large," these vehicles are generally over 10 m (32 ft 10 in) in length. This allows them to carry a variety of payloads, including sensors, weapons, or other robotic systems. Their long endurance, often measured in months, is achieved through efficient hull designs, advanced propulsion systems, and large battery or fuel cell power sources.

Primary roles and applications

The primary purpose of XLUUVs is to operate in environments that are too dangerous or difficult for manned submarines. Their key applications include:

• Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR): They can covertly patrol large areas of the ocean, collecting data on a persistent basis.
• Mine countermeasures: XLUUVs can be used to locate and neutralize underwater mines, keeping manned vessels out of harm's way.
• Anti-submarine warfare (ASW): They can act as a persistent listening post or a launch platform for anti-submarine weapons.
• Seabed warfare: With their long endurance and superior stealth compared to manned systems, they are a cost-effective expandable tool.
• Payload delivery: Their large size allows them to deploy smaller AUVs, sensors, or other equipment to remote locations.

The development of XLUUVs is a key area of research for navies around the world, particularly as they seek to expand their undersea capabilities with autonomous and cost-effective platforms.

(X)LUUV projects

Project	Origin	Designer and/or Builder	Planned operators	Status	Source
Ghost Shark	Australia	Anduril Industries	Royal Australian Navy  United States Navy	In production
SeaWolf		Cellula Robotics Royal Australian Navy	Royal Australian Navy	In development
Speartooth		C2 Robotics		In development	[1]
Solus-XR	Canada	Cellula Robotics	Royal Canadian Navy	In development	[2]
AJX-002	China		People's Liberation Army Navy		[3][4]
HSU-001					[5]
HSU-100					[3]
UUV-300					[3][4]
UCUV	France	Naval Group	French Navy	In development	[6]
MUM	Germany	TKMS	n/a	Study	[7]
Kapal Selam Otonom	Indonesia	PT PAL	Indonesian Navy	In development	[8]
BlueWhale	Israel	ELTA Systems	Israeli Navy	In development	[9]
LUUV	Japan	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force	In development	[10]
Cephalopod	Russia	Rubin design bureau	Russian Navy	In development	[11]
Harpsichord-2P-PM		Rosoboronexport		In development	[12]
Sarma-D		Lazurit Central Design Bureau		In development	[13]
Combat XLUUV	South Korea	Hanwha Ocean	Republic of Korea Navy	In development	[14]
LUUV	Sweden	Saab Kockums	Swedish Navy	In development	[15]
Hui Long	Taiwan	National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology Lungteh Shipbuilding	Republic of China Navy	In operation
Black Whale		Longteh Shipbuilding		In development	[16]
XLUUV	Turkey	Dearsan	Turkish Naval Forces	In development	[17]
Cetus	United Kingdom	MSubs	Royal Navy	In development	[18]
Herne		BAE Systems		In development	[19]
Manta		MSubs	n/a	Experimental	[20]
Echo Voyager	United States	Boeing Phantom Works	n/a	Experimental
Orca		Boeing Huntington Ingalls Industries	United States Navy	In development	[21]

See also

• Unmanned underwater vehicle
• Autonomous underwater vehicle
• Unmanned surface vehicle
• Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle

References

1. "C2 Robotics Speartooth LUUV Hits Capability Milestones at Navy's Autonomous Warrior Event". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
2. "Cellula Robotics Initiates Sea Trials of its Solus-XR XLUUV". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
3. "Chinese Military Parade Details New Naval Missiles, Drones". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
4. "What The World Is About To Learn About China's Extra-Large Underwater Drones". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
5. "Chinese HSU-001 LDUUV". H I Sutton. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
6. "Naval Group unveiled a new LUUV and other solutions at the 5th edition of its Naval Innovation Days". European Defense Review. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
7. "TKMS Presents the Results of its 'MUM' Modular XLUUV Study". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
8. "PT PAL Indonesia Unveils Its Latest Autonomous Submarine Design". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
9. "IAI's New BlueWhale XLUUV Breaks Cover". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
10. "DSEI Japan 2025: Japan's navy tests long-endurance UUV". Janes. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
11. "Russian 'Cephalopod' Armed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) program". H I Sutton. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
12. "Russian Harpsichord (Klavesin) large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles carried by nuclear submarines". H I Sutton. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
13. "Russia's answer to the U.S. Navy's Orca XLUUV: Sarma-D". H I Sutton. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
14. "Hanwha Ocean Unveils Combat XLUUV". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
15. "Saab to develop LUUV large autonomous submarine for Sweden". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
16. "Taiwan's Black Whale XLUUV". H.I. Sutton. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
17. "Dearsan unveils Submarine for Amphibious Operations, XLUUV". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
18. "UK's CETUS XLUUV launched by MSubs in Plymouth". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
19. "Up close with HERNE – BAE Systems' XLUAV concept". Navy Lookout. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
20. "Progress report: Manta – the Royal Navy's experimental autonomous submarine". Navy Lookout. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
21. "Boeing Delivers First Orca XLUUV to U.S. Navy". Naval News. Retrieved 15 September 2025.