LONDON — The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) published a preliminary market-engagement notice (Find a Tender Notice 096028-2026) for the Royal Navy’s Type 93 “Chariot” Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) program.
Aligned with the UK Defence Investment Plan (DIP), Strategic Defence Review (SDR), and the AUKUS Pillar II Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles Signature Project, the Type 93 is designed to serve as the core extra-large autonomous undersea platform for the Royal Navy’s future “Hybrid Navy” force architecture. Operating in concert with crewed Astute-class and future SSN-AUKUS hunter-killer submarines, the Type 93 is tasked with Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), seabed warfare/infrastructure protection, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and stand-off acoustic/kinetic payload deployment. The MoD is seeking industrial input across five distinct operational pillars: vehicle airframes/hulls, modular payloads, autonomous/AI mission-management software, systems integration, and through-life sustainment.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: UK ROYAL NAVY TYPE 93 “CHARIOT” XLUUV PROGRAM 
* Contracting Agency & Customer: UK Ministry of Defence (Defence Equipment & Support / Royal Navy Submarine Service)
* Program Lineage & Operational Context: Type 93 / Atlantic Bastion Framework (Supports AUKUS Pillar II Undersea Signature Project)
* Physical Envelope & Hull Baseline:
* Baseline Reference Dimensions: Approximately 12.0 m in length and 2.0 m in hull diameter (MoD open to alternative vendor dimensions)
* Hull Architecture: Open, modular hull space designed to support variable payload modules and standardized payload bays
* Reference Demonstrators: Informs on lessons from XV Excalibur (MSubs Project Cetus 12 m testbed) and BAE Systems Herne XLUUV
* Autonomy, AI & C4ISR Architecture:
* Mission Management: Open-architecture autonomous mission processing, AI-driven navigation, and sensor processing
* Connectivity: Acoustic/RF data links supporting AUKUS trilateral interoperability and secure satellite backhaul when surfaced
* AUKUS Interoperability: Native compatibility with interchangeable UK, US, and Australian AUKUS Pillar II sensor and weapon payloads
* Payload Integration & Mission Spectrum:
* ASW & Sensing: Towed-array sonar, acoustic intercept receivers, and seabed sensors
* Offensive Capability Demonstrations: Leverages Sept 2026 AUKUS trials where XV Excalibur demonstrated launching a 533 mm Mk 48 Mod 4/Spearfish-class heavyweight torpedo
* Seabed Warfare: Robotic manipulators for Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI) monitoring and offensive/defensive minelaying modules
