The UK is set to build AI-powered underwater gliders to protect vital undersea infrastructure from growing threats posed by Russia.
A new national manufacturing facility will open in Plymouth later this year, described by ministers as the UK’s first “national resilience factory.” The site will produce cutting-edge SG-1 Fathom autonomous underwater gliders, capable of patrolling seabeds and detecting potential threats without human control.
The move follows recommendations from the Defence and Economic Growth Taskforce, a joint initiative from HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence, which aims to unlock the economic potential of Britain’s defence industry.
The Plymouth factory is being established by European defence tech company Helsing, which is investing £350 million into the UK as part of its broader commitment under the Trinity House agreement signed last year.
“We see this capability as absolutely crucial to protect the UK and its interests given the rising threat from Russia and its aggressive actions under the sea,” said Ned Baker, Managing Director of Helsing UK.
Surveillance Gliders Designed to Patrol for Months
The SG-1 gliders represent a major leap in maritime surveillance technology. Capable of operating autonomously for up to three months, they can patrol vast underwater areas in coordinated swarms or remain stationary on the seabed.
Each unit is connected via Lura, a powerful software platform that processes underwater acoustic data in real time. The result is an underwater network not unlike a constellation of satellites, capable of distinguishing even between ships of the same class by identifying their unique acoustic signatures.
“It’s designed to autonomously surveil and detect undersea threats,” Baker explained.
“It allows us to create sovereign manufacturing capacity that helps bring the latest capabilities to our Armed Forces and to our allies.”
From Hundreds to Thousands
Production of the SG-1 gliders is due to begin later in 2025, with initial batches in the hundreds and rapid plans to scale up to thousands, not just for UK use but also for allied navies around the world.
The system is intended to enhance the UK’s ability to protect critical underwater infrastructure, such as subsea cables, energy pipelines, and maritime trade routes, assets that have become increasingly vulnerable amid heightened tensions with Moscow.
Government’s “Team UK” Strategy
The announcement was made alongside the publication of the Defence and Economic Growth Taskforce’s recommendations at a roundtable chaired by new Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Healey.
The report’s headline proposal calls for a “Team UK” strategy to drive innovation, boost high-skilled jobs, and secure long-term investment in the British defence sector.
“In a new era for defence, we are building a new partnership with the UK’s outstanding defence industry,” said Healey.
“We will equip our Armed Forces for the future and make defence an engine for economic growth through our Defence Industrial Strategy, unlocking investment, reforming procurement, championing innovation and backing companies of all sizes.”
The Plymouth facility is one of several moves aimed at ensuring the UK remains globally competitive, technologically advanced, and strategically resilient, both economically and militarily, in an increasingly uncertain world.
