Kongsberg Maritime has unveiled a 56-metre uncrewed vessel named Arctic Hunter, which is designed to give the Royal Navy additional submarine-hunting capacity in the High North.
Announced ahead of the Atlantic Future Forum in Oslo, the vessel is based on an existing commercial design built for Arctic operations. Kongsberg Maritime is proposing Arctic Hunter for the Type 92 programme, with construction planned at Birkenhead if the design is selected.
Collaborating on the initiative, the Norwegian firm has teamed up with Thales UK to handle sonar and military technologies, alongside Balaena Maritime for vessel construction.
Did You Know? Balaena’s Birkenhead yard, where the vessels are planned to be built, was formerly known as Cammell Laird.
Engineered for deployments spanning up to two months, the craft is intended to run operations from an advanced base located within the Arctic Circle.
Kongsberg describes Arctic Hunter as a remotely operated vessel with autonomous functions. Oversight and management of primary maritime operations would fall to trained staff stationed within a land-based Remote Operations Centre, whereas the execution of military actions would always stay under human direction.
Expert Insight: Separating commercial shipbuilding from the integration of military equipment offers a route to faster construction. However, sustained anti-submarine warfare operations will depend heavily on reliable communications, sonar integration, and the ability to keep machinery running for weeks without engineers onboard.
The hull was chosen for its known seakeeping characteristics in North Atlantic conditions, endurance, and payload capacity. Space on deck would allow additional or alternative mission systems to be fitted as requirements develop.
Provision of secure military communications and sonar hardware falls to Thales UK, though the collaborators have kept specific sonar specifications and comprehensive performance data under wraps.
Drawing on its background in uncrewed commercial shipping ventures—including initiatives alongside Reach Subsea and the Yara Birkeland project—Kongsberg contributes extensive sector expertise. The company states that its uncrewed vessel technology has received approvals from DNV and the Norwegian Maritime Authority, underpinning the commercial technology being offered rather than a completed military configuration.
The proposed construction model separates commercial shipbuilding from the integration of military equipment. Aiming for the close of the decade, the collaborators are working to make the craft ready for militarisation and active deployment, contingent on the Royal Navy’s specifications.
Type 92 forms part of Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy plan to combine crewed platforms with uncrewed sensors to detect and track hostile submarines. During July, the Ministry of Defence noted that neither the total number of platforms nor the construction timetable had been finalised, with comprehensive specifications set for evaluation through upcoming concept and assessment stages.
Arctic Hunter could form part of the UK-Norway Lunna House agreement, which includes cooperation on autonomous systems in the High North.
The vessel measures 56 metres in length and is based on an existing commercial vessel design developed for Arctic operations.
Kongsberg Maritime is leading the project, working with Thales UK on sonar and military systems, and Balaena Maritime on shipbuilding.
The vessel is designed for missions lasting up to 60 days while operating from a forward support base inside the Arctic Circle.
How will the integration of commercial shipbuilding and military equipment affect the timeline for naval deployment by the end of the decade?
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