UK Reviews 26 Proposals in Atlantic NET Undersea Programme
The UK Ministry of Defence has completed the first formal tendering phase of its Atlantic NET undersea programme, assessing 26 compliant industry submissions for persistent anti-submarine warfare (ASW) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions, MoD officials confirmed.
The assessment, carried out from September 2025 into January 2026, reviewed proposals aimed at delivering persistent undersea sensing services, marking a key milestone in the UK’s effort to field a modern undersea surveillance network.
Tender Status and MoD Response
In response to parliamentary questions from James Cartlidge MP, the MoD clarified that Atlantic NET remains in the procurement phase and that contracts for specific platforms referenced in earlier announcements have not yet been awarded. This includes extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles such as the BAE Systems Herne concept, and seabed monitoring systems like Anduril’s Seabed Sentry.
Minister of State Luke Pollard confirmed that while industry proposals have now been formally assessed, no orders have been placed yet, and future procurement will proceed under UK commercial law through competitive processes.
Context: Atlantic NET in UK ASW Strategy
Atlantic NET is part of Project CABOT, the British Defence Ministry’s broader effort to modernize undersea capabilities within the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare construct. The initiative aims to deliver “ASW as a service” through a Contractor Owned, Contractor Operated, Naval Oversight (COCONO) model. In this model, industrial partners provide persistent underwater sensing and data services that supply actionable ISR to naval commanders ashore.
That approach represents a shift from traditional platform-centric buys toward networked, data-driven undersea awareness. It also aligns with wider NATO efforts to standardize undersea mission networking and interoperability among allied navies.
Industry Engagement and Capability Scope
According to MoD officials, nearly 327 firms engaged with the tender process, with 26 compliant solutions proceeding to formal evaluation. These proposals span a range of persistent sensing concepts, including uncrewed systems, seabed sensor networks, and other ASW ISR technologies.
Notable platforms previously highlighted in related UK coverage include long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles designed for extended missions, and distributed seabed nodes intended to support continuous acoustic surveillance.
Industry participation reflects broad interest across the UK and European defence sectors, with a mix of major primes and smaller specialised firms contributing to evolving concepts. This engagement supports the UK government’s aim to integrate autonomous and remote systems into its anti-submarine warfare posture.
Strategic Drivers and Allied Context
Atlantic NET and Project CABOT are rooted in strategic assessments that identify undersea threats as a priority domain for the UK and NATO. Increasing submarine activity by near-peer competitors and concerns about undersea infrastructure vulnerabilities have driven allied initiatives to strengthen maritime awareness and resilience.
At the NATO level, efforts such as the Allied Undersea Warfare Mission Network seek to standardize data sharing and connectivity across undersea platforms, helping integrate national contributions into broader alliance ISR and command structures.
What Comes Next
With the assessment phase complete, the UK MoD will now move toward selecting industry partners for the next stage of Atlantic NET development. This could include negotiations and awards for commercial mission partners and other contract vehicles under the programme’s framework.
Further steps may influence the pace and shape of persistent undersea sensing deployment, with initial at-sea trials and limited fielding expected as industry modular solutions mature.
Progress on Atlantic NET also informs subsequent phases under Project CABOT’s vision, potentially feeding into the Royal Navy’s larger Atlantic Bastion construct, which envisages integrated multi-domain ASW capabilities across uncrewed and crewed platforms.
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