UK subsea craft company offers defence across the Pond

The new operational base will be within one of the largest maritime and naval hubs in the US in Virginia Beach, close to military installations, shipbuilding infrastructure and defence contractors. 

At the heart of SubSea Craft’s offering is VICTA, a diver delivery craft designed to transport special forces personnel both on the surface and under water.

Unlike conventional fast boats or swimmer delivery vehicles, VICTA is designed to transition between surface and submerged operations. The craft enables divers to travel at higher speeds on the surface before submerging for covert insertion closer to a target area, reducing diver fatigue and extending operational range.

The platform has been developed for military missions such as special forces insertion, allowing personnel to remain inside the craft during transition from surface transit to underwater operation.

SubSea Craft is also developing autonomous technologies including MARS, an uncrewed surface vessel currently undergoing trials with partners linked to the AUKUS defence technology partnership between Australia, UK and the US.

Virginia Beach was selected partly due to its concentration of naval activity and maritime engineering expertise, as the company increases engagement with US defence stakeholders and regional technology partners including Global Technical Systems.

“Virginia Beach offers an exceptional environment for a company operating at the intersection of maritime innovation and defence technology,” said Tom Harkin, chief commercial officer at SubSea Craft.

The expansion was supported by regional economic development agencies including the Hampton Roads Alliance and Virginia Beach Economic Development.

The move also reflects growing interest in advanced maritime technologies under the AUKUS partnership, particularly systems linked to autonomy, undersea operations and special mission capabilities.

VICTA represents a relatively new category of maritime platform, combining high-speed surface transit with underwater mobility in a single craft to support covert naval operations.