Helsing unveils AI-driven drone to track submarines

European defense technology firm Helsing has introduced a next-generation maritime surveillance platform combining artificial intelligence and autonomous underwater gliders in a bid to transform how navies monitor and defend critical underwater infrastructure.

The system includes Lura, a software platform powered by large-scale acoustic modeling, and SG-1 Fathom, an autonomous underwater glider capable of patrolling for up to three months. Together, the pairing is designed to detect, classify, and report underwater threats at a fraction of the cost of traditional crewed anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.

According to Helsing, Lura leverages advanced acoustic detection techniques similar to those used in large language models, enabling it to identify submarine and ship signatures 10 times quieter than conventional AI systems. It can also distinguish between individual vessels within the same class and process acoustic data up to 40 times faster than human operators.

“Lura detects so our navies can deter,” said Dr. Gundbert Scherf, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Helsing. “We must harness new technologies to keep pace with the threats against our critical infrastructure, national waters, and way of life.”

The SG-1 Fathom glider acts as a mobile sensor platform, steadily moving through the ocean at various depths. Deployed in large numbers, these autonomous units form a distributed sensor network — effectively creating a constellation of underwater satellites.

The system was recently demonstrated at HM Naval Base Portsmouth to prospective users and industry partners. Helsing says it developed the capability in response to growing interest from NATO-aligned navies for scalable underwater surveillance solutions amid rising threats in the subsurface domain.

“To protect ourselves from increasing threats, especially underwater, we must do defense differently,” said Amelia Gould, General Manager of Helsing Maritime. “Lura and SG-1 will form an ever-evolving mission cycle, learning from each deployment to iterate at the pace of the threat — a true 21st-century defense capability.”

The company says the system can be deployed either as a contracted service or directly operated by naval forces. Supported by partners including Qinetiq, Ocean Infinity, and Blue Ocean Marine Tech Systems, Helsing plans to field the technology within the next year in areas ranging from the North Sea and Baltic to the Indo-Pacific.