Production and testing of the firm’s autonomous underwater surveillance system has already begun at Helsing’s new Plymouth factory, which it has designated its Maritime Centre of Excellence.
The 18,000-square-foot factory near Plymouth has only been operational for a matter of weeks, and the site was officially opened by Secretary of State for Defence John Healey earlier this month.
Helsing is initially using the facility to produce its SG-1 Fathom autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), a subsea glider designed to work in swarms to provide persistent ISR capabilities.
The Fathom platform was launched by the firm alongside its Lura Acoustic AI software platform, a large acoustic model (LAM) trained on decades of data which is continuously augmented.
Tests of the combined system have been carried out over the summer near Skye on the north-west coast of Scotland at MoD BUTEC, the Ministry of Defence’s British Underwater Test & Evaluation Centre. And similar rounds of testing have now begun in Plymouth at nearby Turnchapel Wharf.
The firm has dubbed its new facility the “U.K. Resilience Factory”. As per a recent Helsing press statement: “To develop and iterate Helsing’s maritime offering, a new high-tech R&D Hub is being created, including advanced manufacturing machines and software tools.”
Construction of the Plymouth factory was announced by the Government in July as part of Helsing’s £350 million commitment to the U.K. under the 2024 Trinity House agreement.
Defence Secretary John Healey commented: “In this new era of threat, the defence dividend from our record investment is measured in good jobs, thriving businesses, new skills for the British people.
“That is exactly what we’re seeing in Plymouth with Helsing’s cutting-edge new factory showing the benefits of our defence growth deals which are backed by £250 million investment, and the city’s leading maritime autonomous industry.”
And Managing Director of Helsing U.K. Ned Baker added: “From Plymouth we’ll be manufacturing the autonomous systems that keep our sailors, ships and infrastructure safe.
“The SG-1 Fathom shows how world-class engineering and AI can combine to deliver capability at scale — enhancing national resilience, building skills, and supporting our allies.”
- You can read more details on the Helsing website