Raytheon and CET demonstrate HADALUS UUV with weapon launch capability for US Navy

Published Aug 12, 05:40 PM UTC

Raytheon and Composite Energy Technologies (CET) have successfully demonstrated the HADALUS uncrewed undersea vehicle (UUV) during a US Navy exercise, marking the first time the service has seen an integrated launch capability from a submerged drone. The 34-foot-long vehicle features a free-flooded carbon fiber exoskeleton, allowing lighter construction and lower cost—roughly one-third to one-fifth the price of comparable long-endurance UUVs. HADALUS completed missions on a Navy test range, demonstrating detect, reacquire, and engage functions within a single mission. The companies developed the prototype from concept to water demonstration in under 18 months using their own investment. The vehicle's ability to autonomously find and engage targets represents a significant step beyond current undersea drones, which typically only survey and report. The UK's Royal Navy is pursuing similar capabilities through Project Cetus and autonomous mine countermeasures systems, with the 2025 Strategic Defence Review calling for pairing crewed submarines with UUVs for Atlantic Bastion operations.