U.S Navy First Successfully Launches and Recovers Underwater Drone from Submarine

The U.S Navy has achieved a significant milestone in underwater robotics with the first successful deployment and recovery of Yellow Moray Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) through the standard torpedo tube of a Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine. This breakthrough was conducted in the US European Command (EUCOM) area of operations in Norway in February 2025.

In the past, deploying robots from submarines involved complex processes, such as using specialized modules like dry shelters or launching UUVs from torpedo tubes on one-way missions. 

The ideal for submarine commanders has always been a UUV that can be handled like a standard torpedo, which is easily loaded, launched, and recovered through the same torpedo tube after mission completion. Therefore, the USS Delaware’s success with the Yellow Moray represents the realization of this goal.

The Yellow Moray, developed by Huntington Ingalls Industries, is a modified version of the REMUS 600 UUV, designed to meet specific Navy inquiries for long-duration, high-endurance missions.

Measuring 10.7 feet in length, 12.6 inches in diameter, and weighing approximately 530 pounds, the Yellow Moray operates on batteries at depths up to 2,000 feet, with a cruising speed of eight knots. Its outstanding feature is its ability to autonomously exit and return through a submarine’s torpedo tube, removing the need for diver assistance.

Equipped with a modular architecture, the Yellow Moray can carry a variety of sensors, including synthetic aperture sonar, side-scan sonar, Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) sensors, Doppler Velocity Logs (DVL), and inertial navigation systems. 

The versatility enables the UUV to perform diverse missions, such as seabed mapping, mine countermeasures, and reconnaissance in GPS-denied environments. 

The combination of its sensor capabilities and unique launch and recovery system makes it ideal for missions that are either too dangerous for human divers or demand a high level of stealth and discretion.

The Yellow Moray project is a collaboration between Australia and Britain under the AUKUS Pillar II agreement. The British version of the UUV is known as Project SCYLLA.

The successful deployment and recovery of the Yellow Moray through a torpedo tube represents a significant step forward in the integration of unmanned systems into naval operations, paving the way for a future where submarines can leverage advanced robotics to enhance their capabilities and operational effectiveness.

Image credit: MCC America Henry/U.S. Navy