French Navy Buys Five Underwater Glider Drones

The French Navy will be buying at least five SEAEXPLORER 1000-M AUVs.
The French Navy will be buying at least five SEAEXPLORER 1000-M AUVs. Image: ALSEAMAR
04/07/2025

The French Navy has signed a contract to buy five SEAEXPLORER 1000-M autonomous uncrewed vehicles (AUVs) from ALSEAMAR.

The acquisition, announced via a recent company press statement, follows ALSEAMAR’s participation in March’s Dragoon Fury exercise staged by the Marine Nationale where it tested a range of uncrewed systems.

The SEAEXPLORER 1000-M is the firm’s newly developed military-grade version of its underwater glider and the French Navy is its first confirmed customer, though ALSEAMAR says it is already in discussions with other parties with a view to a number of further export sales.

The initial five SEAEXPLORER 1000-Ms being acquired by the French Navy will carry its AURIS acoustic-sensing payload. They are set to be delivered by the end of the year.

As per the firm’s website: “Powered by AI, this solution enables real-time embedded acquisition and processing of acoustic data. The data is encrypted to ensure its security.”

It added: “The network deployment of SEAEXPLORER 1000-M gliders enables them to be used on a large scale, multiplying the efficiency of the system and the quality of the information transmitted to the naval force.

“Enduring, stealthy and proven in operational environments, SEAEXPLORER 1000-M gliders will strengthen the French Navy’s underwater acoustic surveillance capabilities.”

The autonomous gliders can operate with or without propellers, can travel up to 1,000 kilometres towards a target, and can dive to up to 1,000 metres. They can spend up to two months submerged in listening mode.

  • You can read more details about the SEAEXPLORER 1000-M on the ALSEAMAR website

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