The UK Royal Navy carried out a successful test in the Mediterranean Sea of the Iver4 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), developed by L3Harris Technologies. The trials occurred as part of the Navy’s Project Scylla; the service explained that the Project is carried out “through AUKUS [a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States] Pillar 2, which develops advanced capabilities to benefit both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.” Zona Militar and a spokesperson for L3Harris discussed the recent trials, the company’s plans for the AUVs, the future of hybrid fleets and a recent contract for EW aircraft for the Italian air force.
Like other navies across the world, the Royal Navy is interested in developing a hybrid fleet, in which uncrewed systems support crewed vessels. The trials in the Mediterranean involved the launch and recovery of uncrewed underwater vehicles from submarines. Having this capability will increase “options for UK nuclear-powered attack submarines and support underwater reconnaissance, underwater communications, and seabed warfare missions,” the Royal Navy explained in a press release. L3Harris added that its “breakthrough” torpedo tube launch and recovery (TTL&R) technology helps a submarine maintain its stealth, “survivability, and tactical reach in contested waters.”
The ability to recover AUVs into a moving, submerged submarine provides “a significant tactical advantage,” as the AUV conducts “high-risk activities” while the crewed submarine remains in a safe or covert position, L3Harris explained in a press release.
L3Harris has a family of Iver4 AUVs, including versions 900 and 580. The company confirmed to ZM that the recent “successful submarine launch and recovery at sea” operations in the Mediterranean involved the Iver4-900 AUV. The company also confirmed to ZM that its portfolio of Iver4 AUVs is already being delivered to customers. “We have delivered more than 350 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and 150 Autonomous Surface Vehicles, totaling more than 500 autonomous vessels in operation,” the L3Harris spokesperson explained.
After the successful tests during Project Scylla, the obvious question is: what’s next? The company said “we will continue to advance the future hybrid fleet with an established, modular and reliable AUV.” The company highlighted a partnership with the US Navy to implement Navy-designed, fault-tolerant Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack technology, adding that they are delivering the first production of AUVs “powered by Li-ion batteries that are certified for use on US submarines.” These rechargeable Li-ion batteries can also be installed on Iver4-900 AUVs.
L3Harris also noted plans to “continue to demonstrate the advantages and benefits of the Iver4, with additional trials planned for this year.” The company spokesperson added that Project Scylla and AUKUS subsea and seabed warfare (SSW) “are part of a series of collaborative exercises aimed at enhancing AUKUS Pillar II undersea warfare advanced capabilities.”
ZM asked L3Harris about Amorphous, a software designed by the company for multi-domain command and control. To summarize, one operator using Amorphous can control a fleet of uncrewed systems: aerial drones, uncrewed ground vehicles, uncrewed surface vessels, and even autonomous underwater vehicles. ZM asked if trials have occurred to control Iver4-900 AUVs with Amorphous.
“The fundamental challenge for autonomous mission operations is achieving autonomy at scale,” the company explained, as commanding and controlling “hundreds or thousands of autonomous assets in a contested environment requires more than human oversight.” The company added that trials have taken place “during the last several months,” to control “a mix of uncrewed platforms,” even from different manufacturers. As for Iver4, an underwater system, “integration with the Iver4 is on the roadmap,” adding, “we could accelerate testing if there is customer demand.”
Regarding the future of hybrid fleets, services like the US Navy and UK Royal Navy are leading the charge, but others are not far behind. Anecdotally, while the IVER4-900 AUV was tested by the British Navy in the Mediterranean, the Brazilian Navy carried out major exercises at sea, called ADEREX SUP-SUB Lançamento de Armas III/2025, which included an uncrewed surface vessel.
L3Harris is very aware of how new technologies and strategies are molding today’s fleets into the hybrid fleets of tomorrow. The spokesperson confirmed that the company has “recently delivered three new Ivers for the Royal Navy’s Project Wilton to support unmanned mine hunting and survey operations.” The company is confident that future orders for its family of Iver AUVs are on the horizon, as L3Harris has the “technological edge required to unlock the full potential of a hybrid fleet for distributed maritime operations.”
Besides AUVs, L3Harris is also working on aerial platforms. Specifically, the company has obtained a US$300 million contract from Italy to deliver two Gulfstream G550 aircraft provisioned for an electromagnetic warfare (EW) system. It is the first time Washington has approved the sale of the L3Harris EA-37B Compass Call aircraft, designed for EW operations.
When delivered, the two aircraft will join the “Italian Ministry of Defence’s fleet of special mission aircraft along with the Joint Airborne Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor System (JAMMS),” the company explained in a press release. The company is teaming up with BAE Systems for this program. In late July, L3Harris announced a partnership with the Italian company ELT Group to support the Compass Call program.
L3Harris declined to discuss this specific program with ZM, deferring questions to the US Air Force about the delivery timetable of the aircraft. ZM also asked whether there is interest by other US allies in this particular aircraft. The company spokesperson confirmed, “the U.S. government has been approached by other partner countries seeking airborne EA capability,” without providing more information.
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