Britain and the United States have carried out a test launch of a heavy torpedo from the XV Excalibur unmanned underwater vehicle for the first time, Reuters reported. The launch was made in British waters last week as part of the AUKUS cooperation with Australia.
The torpedo was developed jointly by the United States and Australia and is designed to hit ships and submarines. The British government described the test as a “major advance in the future of submarine technology“ and “significant breakthrough for Euro-Atlantic security and NATO's undersea advantage“.
What is Excalibur
Excalibur is a 12-meter experimental vehicle with a displacement of 19 tons, which the British government describes as the largest unmanned underwater vehicle ever tested by the Royal Navy. The vehicle was built in Plymouth and is the first unmanned underwater vehicle of the fleet.
According to British government data in August, the Royal Navy operated Excalibur from a center in Australia, more than 10,000 miles from Plymouth. This was presented as a demonstration of interoperability within the framework of AUKUS.
British media earlier reported that the device could travel up to 1,000 nautical miles and remain underwater for up to five days.
Sources: Reuters, British government, Royal Navy