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Royal Navy leads AUKUS trials to improve use of autonomous systems
24 June 2025
Milestone experiments are paving the way for the UK, Australia and United States to have autonomous systems operating in unison from the seabed to the stratosphere.
Royal Navy personnel were involved in trials under AUKUS Pillar 2, which develops advanced capabilities to benefit both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.
At the CWIX exercise in Poland this month, ground-breaking experiments were run to test how technology can be integrated and data shared rapidly - significantly improving the ability for partners to operate together.
The exercise, falling under AUKUS’ Pillar 2 Maritime Big Play programme, looked to see how the information collected from a variety of autonomous and uncrewed systems could be successfully linked to computer systems and their information consumed and utilised by other nations.
The aim was to increase the sophistication and scale of the three nations using robotics and other innovative technology in one combined force – enhancing their use on operations.
During these latest trials, it was demonstrated that data can be moved into one programme and then used by other nations if required.
By getting the correct data to the correct system via a common way of working, AUKUS personnel were able to have improved situational awareness and increase the speed of decision making.
This experimentation in CWIX will help unlock the ability to seamlessly share data between AUKUS nations
Improved communication and awareness will mean AUKUS nations can work closer together and coordinate crewed and uncrewed assets to operate alongside each other, increasing the lethality of the joint navies.
It also means AUKUS partners can pool expertise to accelerate the development of cutting-edge, battle-winning defence capabilities in a way no one nation could do alone.
The Royal Navy’s Captain Keith Taylor, UK Senior Responsible Owner for Maritime Big Play, said: “As part of AUKUS Pillar 2, Maritime Big Play is helping accelerate the introduction and integration of remote and autonomous systems into our existing forces, offering a game-changing increase to the mass, persistence and lethality of our current capabilities.
“This experimentation in CWIX will help unlock the ability to seamlessly share data between AUKUS nations, ensuring that as we introduce these new technologies, we remain fully interoperable and able to operate as an effective collaborative force.”
The UK contracted Nottingham-based company Nexor to continue developing the systems tested for the shared benefit of the AUKUS partners.
Maritime Big Play will continue to carry out increasingly complex and collaborative exercises and evaluations this year that will lead to further use of trilaterally-connect platforms – from the seabed to the skies.