US Navy begins trials of low-cost, long-range submarine drone HADALUS

Raytheon and Composite Energy Technologies confirmed that the HADALUS unmanned undersea vehicle has entered operational testing, successfully executing submerged launch maneuvers on a Navy test range. The 34-foot prototype, built around a carbon-fiber exoskeleton, boasts over 2,000 nautical miles of endurance and advanced sonar capabilities while costing only a fraction of comparable platforms. Executives from both firms emphasized the rapid development cycle and modular payload options that allow mission-specific configurations with minimal labor.

Navy officials see the drone as a cornerstone of a “hybrid fleet,” augmenting traditional warships with cost-effective, long-endurance subsurface assets for tasks such as surveillance, mine clearance, and ocean-floor mapping. The trials represent an early milestone in a broader roadmap to field autonomous undersea systems that are harder to detect than surface vessels. If successful, the technology could expand the Navy’s reach without the expense of additional support ships. The initiative aligns with broader defense plans to integrate more uncrewed platforms across surface, subsurface, and aerial domains.