Conclusion 18

Uncrewed systems could help the Royal Navy generate the mass and persistence needed for sustained operations in the High North, the North Atlantic and around critical undersea infrastructure. They could be especially valuable for surveillance, anti-submarine sensing and seabed protection, where crewed platforms are scarce and expensive. However, the High North is an exceptionally demanding environment for autonomous systems. Cold, ice, long ranges, degraded communications, poor satellite geometry and electronic interference could all reduce their effectiveness. We are concerned that the MOD’s Hybrid Navy concept must not become a substitute for crewed capability before uncrewed systems have been proven in the specific conditions of the High North. (Conclusion, Paragraph 113)