Raytheon and Composite Energy Technologies test HADALUS drone submarine that launches weapons

Published Aug 12, 05:40 PM UTC

Raytheon and Composite Energy Technologies have demonstrated a new uncrewed undersea vehicle, HADALUS, launching from beneath the surface during a United States Navy exercise. This is the first time the US Navy has seen this integrated capability in the water. The 34-foot-long vehicle has a carbon fibre exoskeleton, a range of over 2,000 nautical miles, and is designed to cost a third to a fifth of comparable long-endurance vehicles. HADALUS completed missions on a Navy undersea test range, demonstrating the ability to detect, reacquire, and engage targets within a single mission. The companies developed the prototype from concept to demonstration in under 18 months using their own investment. The vehicle represents a step beyond current undersea drones, which typically only search, survey, and report, by adding the ability to engage targets autonomously.