France's Defence Innovation Agency (AID) and the French Navy have selected three industry teams to build armed unmanned surface vehicle (USV) prototypes under the DANAE programme, the country’s armed forces ministry announced on Thursday, October 8.
The finalists are SeaOwl; the Orcas group of SEAir, Ægir, MBDA and Diades Marine; and a Sirehna, Couach and Naval Group team.
Each team will develop and test a larger prototype. AID said the teams have 12 months to improve their systems before evaluation by the agency, the navy and DGA Techniques Navales.
A final selection is expected by the end of 2027, followed by production and entry into service.
DANAE is intended to provide autonomous vessels for port protection and ship escort. The craft may carry weapons, but the decision to use them will remain with a human operator.
SEAir, as the Orcas integrator, is offering a hydrofoil-equipped "flying USV" suitable for embarkation on frigates, building on its earlier naval hydrofoil designs.
SeaOwl's proposal is based on an existing boat and can operate in crewed or autonomous mode, fitted with sensors and a non-lethal dissuasion turret. SeaOwl Technology Solutions Director General Mathieu Glade said that the company's offer was "an optionally crewed drone that retains almost all the performance,” of the boat that constitutes the original platform.
The Sirehna-Couach-Naval Group proposal is a nine-metre, modular USV designed from the outset for uncrewed operation and rapid deployment from navy ships.
The three were chosen from seven systems trialled from January 19 to 23 south of Saint-Mandrier near Toulon.
DANAE is separate from the navy's tender for shipborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance USVs.