The UK's first large-sized stealth submarine, intended to support military forces on secret missions, has set sail for the seas.
The new ship, called Herne, was deployed off the coast of Portsmouth earlier this month by teams at BAE Systems, the UK's largest defense company.
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Besides carrying out “secret surveillance missions,” Hearn is expected to help militaries protect underwater infrastructure, according to BAE, which built the submarine in collaboration with Canadian company Cellula Robotics.
Surveillance ships and submarines are used to protect critical underwater infrastructure such as submarine cables used for internet and power.
The company said it would also participate in “anti-submarine warfare.”
Herne, which is said to have a range of up to 3,100 miles, is an autonomous ship, meaning it can think for itself without a human operator.
It took BAE and Cellula just 11 months to take the submarine from “whiteboard to water,” according to a statement from BAE.
A team of engineers, based in Portsmouth, tested the submarine in November with a mock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission.
Hearn has been called a “game changer on the underwater battlefield” by BAE’s head of marine services, Scott Jamieson.
“It will give our customers a cost-effective autonomous capability that allows for a wide range of missions,” he continued, adding that it provides an alternative to manned platforms.
In turn, this could lead to more crews being taken off the road in dangerous conditions.
The autonomous nature of the ship also means that skilled personnel can be freed from 'arduous' tasks, such as watchdogs.
“An additional benefit of underwater autonomy is that, without the need to resupply or carry life support systems, the Herne will be able to patrol the subsurface domain for a much longer period than the manned alternative,” BAE said.
It's designed to fit a 40-foot shipping container.
The defense company said it will continue to test the Hearn through further trials.
