Thales just bagged a 10-million-pound ($13.5 million) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence to roll out next-gen remote command centers for the Royal Navy’s autonomous minehunting missions.
The facilities will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help the military track down and destroy sea mines more safely and efficiently.
The contract could expand up to 100 million pounds ($135 million), making it a key step in the force’s shift to using more unmanned tech.
Smarter Anti-Mine Ops
Thales’ M-Cube system is placed at the core of the command centers.
The AI-powered platform allows navy personnel to control a fleet of drone vessels to spot and deal with mines from a secure location.
It is backed by Mi-Map, another piece of AI software that filters and sorts through sensor data to make mine detection faster and more accurate. Thales is also using its advanced AI framework, cortAIx, to make sure everything works smoothly.
These new remote hubs can be set up on ships or ashore, and they’ll help protect key sea routes and underwater infrastructure, which are critical to everything from global shipping to internet cables.
Powering ‘Hybrid Navy’
Officials said that the project is part of London’s bigger plan to create a “Hybrid Navy,” blending both human-operated and fully autonomous systems.
They pointed out the growing threats to UK security, noting that these tech upgrades will help keep sailors safe without putting them in risky situations.
Thales, meanwhile, has been investing heavily in the UK’s defense sector to support the country’s efforts, creating over 200 skilled jobs and driving innovation in the mine countermeasures industry, well beyond just the latest command center project.
“The new Remote Command Centres will give Royal Navy personnel unprecedented command and control over our autonomous mine hunting systems,” Royal Navy Command Program Director Jon Reed-Beviere stated.
“This integrated approach allows us to operate multiple unmanned platforms simultaneously and integrate new capability in the future. It represents a paradigm shift in how we deliver mine countermeasures capability.”
