WASHINGTON, (September 13, 2026) - The U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy successfully conducted the proof-of-concept launch of an exercise U.S. Mk 48 Heavyweight Torpedo from an allied uncrewed platform, the Royal Navy's XV EXCALIBUR, at the British Underwater Test & Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) in Scotland. The milestone, achieved under Project Broadsword and Trial Iron, marks a major operational achievement for AUKUS Pillar 2. The event successfully validated the mechanical, electrical, and software integration of a U.S. kinetic payload onto an allied autonomous vessel, proving that allied forces can rapidly achieve weapon interchangeability. (US Navy graphic via DOW)
“This successful test marks a historic first for allied undersea warfare,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations. “Proving that we can seamlessly launch a U.S. heavyweight torpedo from a Royal Navy autonomous underwater vehicle validates our shared vision for true interchangeability. By integrating weapons, payloads, and mission architectures across allied platforms, we are increasing the flexibility, scale, and combat power of our combined forces and ensuring they are ready to meet the strategic demands of tomorrow.”
This rapid-capability initiative directly supports the AUKUS mandate to co-develop and field cutting-edge asymmetric capabilities that bolster collective deterrence across the Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions. By converting commercial and allied uncrewed undersea hulls into high-end strike assets, the partnership drastically alters the cost-exchange ratio in contested maritime environments.
"BROADSWORD is a great example of how AUKUS Pillar II drives interoperability in across the alliance. Demonstrating the launch of a US torpedo from a UK extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) is an important early step in developing lethality in our undersea autonomous systems," said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, Director, Submarine Programs. “We look forward to continuing to leverage the AUKUS partnership to keep pushing the potential warfighting advantages of unmanned undersea systems.”
Approved in February 2026 by the Department of the Navy Rapid Capabilities Office (DONRCO), the project was executed in less than seven months through aggressive collaboration among the DONRCO, OPNAV N97, the Royal Navy, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport, and industry partners. The
DONRCO co-managed the initiative with the Navy’s Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS).
“This effort is proof that the DONRCO and our mission partners are fundamentally redefining how defense technology is accelerated,” said Navy Vice Adm. Seiko Okano, the director of the DONRCO. “We are not waiting 10 years for a single bespoke platform; we are pioneering a modular, software-defined, open-systems approach that integrates allied hardware with commercial innovation to rapidly scale distributed lethality."
Following the successful deployment of the Mk 48 from the XV EXCALIBUR, the Department of the Navy and its international partners will continue aggressive follow-on acceleration with Project CUTLASS. Utilizing the Anduril Dive-XL platform, the next phase will tackle advanced payload integration data, command and control architectures, and tactical employment scenarios to further mature uncrewed undersea capabilities.
The Secretary of the Navy established the Rapid Capabilities Office in August 2025 to drive the rapid delivery of transformative solutions to solve the hardest operational problems. With a focus on providing capabilities within zero to three years, the DONRCO leverages existing technologies in new ways and adapts emerging technologies and unconventional concepts to ensure the Navy can win decisively - both now and in the future.
Broadsword underscores the Navy’s commitment to building America’s Fleet of the Future. For 250 years, American naval power has projected strength globally, operating forward 24/7, 365 days a year. This operational tempo demands continuous capability, and the Fleet of the Future is our answer.
Republished with permission of DOW