Royal Navy's minehunting fleet takes 'huge leap forward' after £32m deal to build new robo-drones is green-lit

The contract will has been awarded to maritime tech firm Atlas Elektronik, which will create the new explosive-hunting robots.

Three sets of the ‘Medium Autonomous Underwater Vessel’ – or MAUV – will be built in a move that’s set to modernise the Senior Service’s minehunting capabilities.

The sophisticated tech allows the drones to cruise through the water, scanning for mines and other explosive devices.

Jeremy Quin, Britain’s defence procurement minister in charge of buying new military kit, said the kit would overhaul the navy’s fleet.

‘This innovative technology is a huge leap forward for the Royal Navy and will be crucial to protecting the security and safety of our personnel,’ the minister said. ‘Supporting wider British industry, it also reinforces our focus on ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of tackling defence threats.’

The deal will create 50 jobs at Atlas’s Dorset HQ, with a further 23 jobs across Europe.

As previously reported, Portsmouth is home to the bulk of the Royal Navy’s fleet of minehunters.

However, many of the vessels are old and expected to be slowly sold off under plans to modernise the navy.

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Under plans being considered by top brass, smaller autonomous minehunters could be embarked on various ships in the fleet and deployed whenever needed.

It’s hoped the introduction of new drones will help improve safety for divers and boost the availability of sophisticated kit to protect warships and critical maritime trade corridors

Simon Bollom, chief executive of the Ministry of Defence’s Department of Equipment and Support (DE&S), said: ‘The threat posed by sea mines is constantly evolving and DE&S are working with industry to ensure the Royal Navy has a world-class network of capabilities to protect the UK’s maritime interests as well as improving the safety of Royal Navy personnel.’

Commander Neil Griffiths, commander of the mine threat exploitation group, added: ‘This is another exciting step as we move from conventional mine counter measures (MCM) to a system of integrated capabilities.

‘This new capability is quicker, provides greater precision and will put the latest technology in the hands of our sailors, reinforcing their reputation as some of the best MCM practitioners in the world.’