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Royal Navy sailors look at how AI could be used in engineering
27 August 2025
The use of artificial intelligence in maritime engineering was explored during an innovation day attended by Royal Navy sailors.
Thirty engineers from Fleet Support Units (FSUs) Archimedes and Brunel gathered to explore the potential of AI for analysis, maintenance and component failure forecasting.
The event, hosted under the banner of Project Innovate, featured presentations from C3.ai, AWS and Squarcle, showcasing how AI can enhance operational effectiveness across the Royal Navy.
These capabilities are already delivering benefits in both maritime and military domains, reducing downtime and improving stores support.
The inaugural event marked a significant step in the FSUs' strategy to embed emerging technologies into engineering practice. By integrating AI into Continual Professional Development (CPD), the FSUs are equipping engineers with the tools and knowledge to meet future challenges head-on.
Project Innovate is about more than just technology, it’s about empowering our engineers to think differently
Chris Byrne, senior director of Strategic Solutions at C3.ai, said: “Our team were delighted to have the opportunity to meet the FSU engineers and to be able to offer a perspective on the evolving technology landscape and its potential applications within their engineering operations.”
Commander Will Jones, Commander Operational Support at SURFLOT, added: “Project Innovate is about more than just technology, it’s about empowering our engineers to think differently, to challenge convention and in the context of this event, to explore how AI can be practically applied to real world engineering problems.
“Events like this play an important role in helping our engineers stay informed and engaged with emerging technologies, supporting our drive to deliver smarter, faster and more resilient support to the Fleet.
The FSUs continue to provide scalable, agile and sustainable engineering support to Royal Navy ships at home and at reach around the world.