UK and US test-fire torpedo from uncrewed undersea vessel for first time

The UK government announced Monday that Britain and the United States had, for the first time, test-fired a torpedo from an uncrewed undersea vessel rather than a crewed submarine. The live firing took place in UK waters last week as part of the AUKUS alliance with Australia.

London said the test "marks a major advance in the future of submarine technology" for all three countries and "delivers a significant breakthrough for Euro-Atlantic security and NATO's undersea advantage." The move comes as Western nations rush to modernise their war-fighting capabilities with autonomous systems amid threats from Russia and Iran.

According to the UK government, the heavyweight torpedo, jointly developed by the US and Australia, was launched from a 12-metre (40-ft) undersea drone built in Britain and named Excalibur. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the RUSI think-tank, called the development "noteworthy," saying the use of a lethal payload shows uncrewed systems can take on roles beyond surveillance.

Burnham heads to New York

The announcement coincided with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is set to hold his first meeting with US President Donald Trump since becoming UK leader in July. The UK government said Burnham would use the trip to push forward global cooperation on artificial intelligence and announce a new AI and autonomy partnership with the US, aimed at helping protect critical national infrastructure from sea lanes to air space.

Burnham said he would make the case this week for closer international cooperation on AI, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and renewed efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East. He also confirmed that Britain will host the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027.