UK MoD Calls To Industry For Submarine Warfare Project CABOT

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently circulated a call to industry for support on their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) detection project. Labelled Project CABOT, the UK aims to deploy a series of autonomous ASW vehicles that can canvas the North Atlantic ocean. 

Britain has a long history of commanding the open seas. But with the uptick in innovative and smarter naval systems, it seems the UK is pivoting to meet the latest technological demands of warfare. Especially after a recent run in with a Russian submarine that was loitering in UK waters.

A recent market engagement notice outlined: “The aim of the Industry engagement is to commence a conversation between the Royal Navy (RN) and Industry Partners on capabilities that will accelerate the RNs pivot to autonomy with a specific focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare.” 

Project CABOT: How The UK Plans To Digitise Their Naval Fleet

According to reports from the UK Defence Journal, the focus area will be to utilise two vessels to encompass the CABOT initiative. The project will target greater “ASW search capability” the MoD said. But how will this be achieved? 

Through “a portfolio of lean crewed, remote operated and uncrewed/autonomous airborne, surface and subsurface vehicles, sensors and nodes,” the UK can constantly survey and cover a wide area of the North Atlantic.

Some of those vessels being the drone submarine fleet, Type 93, and an unmanned autonomous surface vessel called Type 92 Sloop, UK Defence Journal reports. Chiefly, the main goal of the project is to digitise the North Atlantic via smarter, remotely operated surface and submersible watercraft.  

To ensure industry has the capability to deliver on the project, a “close down event” will take place at an unknown date and time. To capture interest, the event has asked prospective organisations to apply, with successful applicants being notified on 28 February, according to Maritime Industries. 

Building On The UK’s Sea Bound Assets

A team labelled, Navy DEVELOP, will build out their strategy to achieve Project CABOT. This will entail enhancing a previous scheme titled Project CHARYBDIS. Originally, this programme worked towards exploring the market to enable a “deployable, uncrewed anti-submarine warfare capability to provide surveillance of underwater hostiles,” an MoD statement read. Once identified, the MoD aims to develop and test a range of autonomous vessels that host ASW capabilities. To ensure no stone is left unturned, the MoD outlined that what arises from Project CABOT and CHARYBDIS will “focus on wide areas of ocean.” 

Since circulation, Project CHARYBDIS seems to have yielded some results. The MoD said a Submarine Delivery Agency delivered the scheme under the umbrella of “Defence Innovation Unit’s “ASW Spearhead” programme.” Through this initiative, the MoD said it has “helped pave the way for CABOT’s next steps”. More is to come, but currently the programme is still in its infancy. Yet, what is telling is that Britain is aiming to increase their presence in the UK, Iceland, and Greenland gap to deter possible hostilities.   

Uncrewed vessels rising – and sinking

The move by MoD comes as the promise of non-crewed autonomous seagoing vessels is becoming a reality. Warfare in the Black Sea since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is dominated by non-crewed submersibles – the overwhelming majority of Ukraine’s blue-water navy – destroying roughly a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Adding autonomous capability is a work in progress especially in terms of avoiding countermeasures.