Royal Navy tests seabed defence tech with AUKUS allies

The Royal Navy has completed a six-week trial with the US and Royal Australian Navies to demonstrate how uncrewed underwater technology can protect critical undersea infrastructure (CUI), split between the US east and west coasts and waters off southwestern Australia.

Exercise Lanternfish, the latest collaborative trial under the AUKUS Pillar 2 agreement, saw Royal Navy divers and hydrographic experts operate alongside their American and Australian counterparts. The Diving and Threat Exploitation Group deployed its VideoRay Defender, a small remotely operated submersible used to locate