Financial Times reveals in a new article that European defence start-up Helsing has revealed its plans to launch a fleet of autonomous mini submarines that promise to revolutionise naval surveillance. As global tensions rise and maritime security becomes increasingly vital, Helsing’s cutting-edge technology, including the SG-1 Fathom glider, is set to change the way nations protect their waters and critical infrastructure.
The flagship of the new initiative is the SG-1 Fathom, an autonomous glider capable of operating underwater for up to three months. Equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence system named Lura, the glider can detect and analyze sounds from nearby ships and submarines with unparalleled speed and accuracy. According to Helsing, Lura can identify acoustic signatures 40 times faster than human analysts and operate at noise levels 10 times lower than current AI models.
Gundbert Scherf, Helsing’s co-founder and co-CEO, explained, “Lura will detect so our navies can deter.” The company also noted that a single operator would be able to manage hundreds of SG-1 Fathom gliders at once, providing crucial intelligence at just 10 per cent of the cost of traditional manned anti-submarine warfare operations. Helsing aims to roll out the system within the next year.
This development comes at a time when the nature of modern warfare is rapidly changing, shifting from conventional military equipment to more advanced, autonomous technologies. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has underscored this trend, particularly as nations increase their focus on underwater surveillance in response to attacks on subsea cables and critical infrastructure.
The UK Royal Navy’s Project Cabot is one such initiative, aiming to deploy both manned and unmanned platforms to strengthen anti-submarine capabilities. The UK Ministry of Defence is also set to release a strategic defense review emphasizing the need to secure the north Atlantic region from potential threats, particularly from Russia, which has been enhancing its northern fleet with advanced underwater technology.
Helsing, valued at 4.95 billion euros in its most recent funding round, is collaborating with companies like Blue Ocean Marine Tech Systems, Ocean Infinity, and Qinetiq to deliver the SG-1 Fathom and Lura system to clients.
By Naila Huseynova
Source: caliber.az
scorpion.az