Reports noted that the UK Royal Navy has succeeded in launching over-the-horizon military capability of unmanned, autonomous platforms. The device known as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) would enable the navy personnel to carry search operation without involving human operators. These vehicles are supposed to fulfills wide range of maritime defence requirements such as surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), intelligence, mine countermeasures (MCM), and even weapons delivery1.

• 1. “Safe and sound: UUV-based sonar gets closer to mines,” May 22, 2009, at http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jni/jni090522_1_n.shtml