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Plymouth's prime position gets boost
12th May 2026
Plymouth's historic position offers future options (image: National Centre for Marine Autonomy)
The UK Government has committed £50million to accelerate the development and operational testing of maritime autonomous systems in Plymouth, reinforcing the city's position as the National Centre for Marine Autonomy (NCMA) and providing a significant boost to the defence-focused unmanned maritime vehicle sector.
The investment, part of the Government's wider defence growth strategy, is directed specifically at surface and subsurface maritime drone development, including remotely operated and fully autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and