Source-linked news, original analysis and approved development briefs across unmanned systems. Original event dates, publication dates and evidence limits remain distinct.
In June 2026, UK Defence Equipment & Support published a transparency notice for an intended two-year SeaFox in-service support arrangement with TKMS Atlas UK. The proposed GBP 12 million requirement covers support for the Royal Navy's mine-identification and disposal system and relies on direct-award justification linked to OEM technical access.
On June 11, 2026, the European Extended Mine Countermeasures consortium held its Critical Design Review at TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK in Bremen. Participating member states reviewed the system design and requirements, and the milestone marked completion of the design phase and transition toward prototyping of autonomous mine-countermeasure toolboxes and platforms.
During Exercise Sea Breeze 26-2 from July 13-24, 2026, participating naval forces conducted mine-countermeasure, EOD, and unmanned-underwater-system training in Portland. SeaFox capability was associated with participating Ukrainian minehunters through participant and industry evidence, linking the German-origin mine-disposal system to the exercise.
On July 22, 2026, the Royal Navy reported SeaCat training for Zulu Unit 2 through the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group's Operational Conversion Unit. The training developed operator proficiency for seabed-object detection and identification, including support to continuous-at-sea-deterrence activity in Clyde waters.
On August 13, 2026, members of a Schleswig-Holstein security and defence-industry commission observed a practical GREYSHARK test deployment off the German coast.
In early June 2026, the Finnish Border Guard and Finnish Navy conducted field testing in the Gulf of Finland using a remote-controlled underwater robot alongside vessels, divers, and other test equipment.
From February 9-13, 2026, South Korean supplier Aqua Systems completed delivery and five days of operator training for a VideoRay MSS Defender remotely operated vehicle to an undisclosed Republic of Korea Navy unit.
On June 11, 2026, a PPS procurement notice was issued for improvement of a submarine-simulator test platform supporting a drogue-based UUV launch-and-recovery R&D program.
On July 2-3, 2026, the ROK Navy Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit convened its annual rescue-development advisory committee and reviewed research presentations relevant to future rescue capability. The material included a swarm-search autonomous UUV concept and operating system intended to improve underwater search efficiency and collaborative rescue missions.
In July 2026, PPS re-tendered the drogue-UUV submarine-simulator platform requirement under notice R26BK01615676-000 after the earlier procurement stage. The re-tender specified one integrated test-platform set, a KRW 890 million project amount, and a May 31, 2027 delivery deadline if awarded.
On July 21, 2026, KRISO published procurement plan R26DD20825247 for manufacture of the complete CRM100 underwater walking-robot prototype. The underlying defence-funded program concerns an autonomous underwater walking and swimming robot for buried-mine search, with associated autonomous perception, movement, and mission-control technologies.
On July 30, 2026, the Agency for Defense Development publicly unveiled the MR-X mission-reconfigurable extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle demonstrator at the DAPA-hosted 9th Defense Science and Technology Fair.
On August 3, 2026, the Republic of Korea Navy and Hanwha Systems conducted an AI-based manned-unmanned mine-warfare combat experiment at the Navy Operations Command base in Busan.
On August 14, 2026, KRISO reissued the CRM100 hydrodynamic-resistance wind-tunnel-test requirement under notice R26BK01682953-000. The re-tender retained a KRW 27,272,727 estimated price and KRW 30 million budget and scheduled bid opening for August 25.
On April 4, 2026, Nhân Dân reported that Vietnam's Military Ship Design Institute was continuing research on an indigenous unmanned underwater vehicle for the country's armed forces.
In April 2026, researchers from the Military Technical Academy and Military Ship Design Institute published results for a pressure-testing tank designed for underwater equipment used with the Pluto Plus ROV. The system supports watertightness, strength, and buoyancy testing before real-environment testing of the underwater equipment.
On August 14, 2026, Vietnam's General Department of Defence Industry reported that the Military Ship Design Institute was implementing development work on a kamikaze UUV. The disclosure establishes an indigenous defense-UUV research program intended for a strike-related mission but does not reveal whether the vehicle operates as an AUV, ROV, or hybrid system.
On January 15, 2026, a Brazilian Armed Forces capability package presented to the President included the Navy's IPqM multipurpose autonomous-submarine project. The concept is associated with autonomous underwater missions including mine-countermeasure and search-and-rescue support within the Navy's longer-term capability development.