On 3 November 2026, the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) and the  French Defense Innovation Agency (AID) signed a contract with Naval Group  launching the production of the UCUV (Unmanned Combat Underwater Vehicle)  demonstrator for the benefit of the French Navy. 

Launched in 2023, the UCUV project aims to equip the French Navy with a first XL-UUV capacity  (eXtra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle). After initial stages of studies, technology  integration and tests entrusted to Naval Group and carried out thanks to its own XL-UUV  demonstrator, the launch of the UCUV demonstrator represents a major step forward in the  project. 

The UCUV demonstrator’s first sea trials are planned to begin in 2028 in order to validate a mid term operational response to new areas of conflicts and to the evolutions of naval warfare.  

Naval Group’s XL UUV Demonstrator at the heart of the UCUV project 

The XL-UUV Demonstrator developed by Naval Group as part of its R&D and qualified at sea in  2023, enabled short-cycle evaluation of the technologies, such as mission autonomy, safe  underwater navigation, endurance, and specialized payloads, needed to confirm the technical  choices linked to the design of the future UCUV demonstrator. This innovative method allowed 

agile guidance for the project within the defined budget and schedule. 

Autonomous Decision-Making Process, the on-board brain of autonomous systems 

The UCUV demonstrator will be equipped with Naval Group’s autonomous decision-making  solution Steeris OB. Working as a true embedded brain under the supervision of an human  operator, Steeris OB allows drones to carry out long autonomous missions, without the need for  remote-control, in environments where communications are limited, impossible or denied. 

Through continuous replanning based on tactical situation analysis and environmental awareness,  Steeris OB enables drones to adapt its behaviour regarding environment condition and tactical  situation, either independently or in cooperation with other autonomous or crewed systems. 

Naval Group – 40/42, rue du Docteur Finlay – 75732 Paris Cedex 15 – Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 59 55 69 – www.naval-group.com 

Supporting navies in the integration of drones into their forces 

As future naval operations are set to involve increasing levels of drone deployment, connectivity  and collaboration, Naval Group offers a range of solutions in naval drones and autonomous combat  systems. These systems are multi-mission capable, autonomous or remotely operated, and  designed for easy integration into existing fleets. 

Our portfolio of drones and autonomous systems is organized around four product ranges,  developed through a progressive approach: SEAQUEST for unmanned surface vehicles (USV),  SEAGENT for unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), STEERIS for onboard intelligence and mission  systems, and SEALKEN for launch and recovery systems. 

Designed to support maritime domain awareness and control, the autonomous systems  developed or integrated by Naval Group, whether surface, aerial or underwater, complement the  capabilities of ships and aircraft. They perform a wide range of missions, from intelligence  gathering and seabed operations to access denial in designated areas.