Royal Navy issues £10m Project Beehive tender for unmanned boats

Under the ‘Project Beehive’ programme, the platforms ‘will be utilised for Training, Tactic Development, Warfare Development, Capability Development, and Operations in the UK Area of Responsibility and beyond’, it says.

Calling the project a ‘spiral development’, the Navy says the initial platforms could be just the start of ‘open architecture for future development’.

“This capability is key to maintaining operational relevance against peer threats,” the notice says. “The Hybrid Navy transition will require development and testing of new technologies and whilst much of this work will be conducted by Navy development,disruptive capabilities, and technology officer, the SURFLOT Fleet of USVs will act as test beds to provide learning from experience.”

Some may find it surprising to learn that the Royal Navy is so new to uncrewed vessel technology, announcing only in October this year a trial of five uncrewed boats off the coast of Scotland.

A real-life scenario of escorting a warship was played out during 72 hours of training, the Navy says, in a milestone for the Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technology Office. Seven 7.2m autonomous Rattler boats were trialled, ‘pushing the boats and their controllers to their limits’.

“While on board XV Patrick Blackett, sitting alongside in HMNB Portsmouth, sailors, Royal Marines and Army personnel remotely piloted five of the boats as they sailed in Scotland 500 miles away,” a spokesman said.

“The demonstration saw the vessels work with P2000 HMS Biter of the Coastal Forces Squadron, a Merlin helicopter, HMS Tyne and HMS Stirling Castle in a proof-of-concept exercise.

“With cameras, sensors and other data being fed back to Patrick Blackett, the Rattlers were able to successfully and safely escort Tyne and Stirling Castle, who were playing the role of foreign warships.”

Earlier this year The Navy had an uncrewed boat, the 12m Ariadne, delivered by Thales UK for mine-hunting activities and other underwater threats.

“The arrival of RNMB Ariadne marks a major milestone in the Royal Navy’s transition to autonomous mine countermeasures and brings us another step closer to delivering the capability,” said Commander Daniel Herridge, Commanding Officer of the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group.

“The Mine and Threat Exploitation Group will work with our industry and defence partners to operationalise this cutting-edge technology to achieve operational advantage. Ariadne, with her associated payloads, will enhance our ability to detect, classify, and neutralise underwater threats with greater efficiency and reduced risks to our sailors.”

Details of the Royal Navy’s tender for 20 USVs are here. The deadline is January 13, 2026.