Uk Navy To Get Cutting-Edge Mine-Hunting Centres

The UK Ministry of Defence has contracted Thales to design, develop, and deliver portable, remote command centres (RCCs) that will transform the Royal Navy’s mine-hunting capability and broader seabed warfare capacities through enhanced use of autonomous systems. The contract, valued at up to GBP100 million, will run for three-and-a-half years with options for extension, and will deliver up to eight containerised RCC units.

The RCC concept is based on using containerised packages, deployed at sea or ashore, to conduct integrated command and control (C2) of the full range of mine-hunting crewed/uncrewed platforms, sensors, and effectors. Thales UK’s Mine Warfare Capture Director, David Hunkin, explained that the requirement for the RCC is to integrate the currently disparate and separately controlled range of key mine-hunting platforms and autonomous capabilities into a single, unified command centre.

The integrated impact of Thales’ M-Cube mission management software, Mi-Map database, and cortAIx artificial intelligence (AI) applications will be the core of the RCC concept. M-Cube provides planning, execution, and evaluation options for conventional and autonomous mine-hunting missions, bringing maritime situational awareness from task force to unit level. Mi-Map builds a database of raw data, which when filtered through cortAIx, provides more accurate and streamlined information to support mine-hunting, including automatic target recognition.

The RCC concept is designed to enable the Royal Navy operators to coordinate a multi-domain fleet of autonomous and remotely operated uncrewed systems. This approach will enhance mass while offering faster and more adaptable operational response. The capability concept is based on using containerised packages deployed at sea or ashore to conduct integrated C2 of the full range of mine-hunting platforms, sensors, and effectors.

The RCC concept represents a ‘system of systems’ approach, where the command centre operates as a hub for integrated C2 of various uncrewed systems. The modular hardware construct and software architecture also support the MoD’s rapid capability adoption and spiral acquisition requirements, enabling upgrades based on operator feedback and technology advances, and providing adaptability for future mission requirements.

Thales UK is collaborating with experienced industry partners to bring together the best capabilities to ensure the Royal Navy’s solution is flexible and future-ready. The RCC concept is a first step for the Royal Navy in its transformation towards enhancing the contribution of uncrewed systems to mine-hunting operations and developing more broadly a ‘hybrid’, crewed/uncrewed naval force structure.

The contract covers supply of hardware, software, training, and technical advice to support delivery and integration of the RCCs and wider mine-hunting equipment. The initial phase of the contract is valued at GBP10m and will cover design completion by late 2026, plus establishing the programme’s core management.

In its June 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the MoD noted that rapid evolution of the Royal Navy’s mine-hunting capability through harnessing autonomous platforms would be central to the service’s transformation into a ‘hybrid navy’. The SDR highlighted the importance of building both multi-domain and distributed operational capability at sea, which will be enhanced by delivering operational outputs through combining platforms (crewed/uncrewed), sensors, and effectors.

The use of uncrewed systems for mine-hunting brings significant sensing-and-effect capacity for countering underwater infrastructure risks. The RCC concept underlines the Royal Navy’s and wider NATO naval focus on building both multi-domain and distributed operational capability at sea. Such containerised, distributed capacity enhances rapid response, which is particularly needed in recent years given the emergent need to deploy packages of sensing capability and C2 to respond to threats to critical underwater infrastructure.

The development focus has been on ensuring the system can easily interface and work seamlessly with external partners’ systems, which is essential for collaborative operations and future-proofing. The flexibility ensures the Royal Navy can readily integrate both new and legacy systems as requirements or technologies evolve.

M-Cube’s open, modular architecture ensures it can integrate seamlessly with various uncrewed systems, both currently in service and anticipated in the future, providing the Royal Navy with the flexibility to adapt to evolving operational requirements. Thales is also exploring collaborations with industry partners to bring together the best capabilities to ensure the Royal Navy’s solution is flexible and future-ready.

The RCC concept is a key component of the Royal Navy’s transformation towards enhancing the contribution of uncrewed systems to mine-hunting operations and developing more broadly a ‘hybrid’, crewed/uncrewed naval force structure. The capability will generate vital lessons that will inform wider transformation across the fleet, ensuring continued operational effectiveness while enabling a smooth and informed transition.

The contract with Thales marks an important step forward in the Royal Navy’s efforts to enhance its mine-hunting capability and broader seabed warfare capacities through enhanced use of autonomous systems. The delivery of portable, remote command centres that will integrate command and control of crewed/uncrewed platforms, sensors, and effectors represents a significant advancement in the service’s transformation into a ‘hybrid navy’.