European defence startup Helsing has unveiled a maritime surveillance platform featuring autonomous underwater drones designed to protect naval vessels and critical infrastructure. The underwater glider, SD-1 Fathom, is capable of patrolling for up to three months at a time in search of detecting and monitoring underwater threats. It deploys the platform Lura, an AI system powered by […]
European defence startup Helsing has unveiled a maritime surveillance platform featuring autonomous underwater drones designed to protect naval vessels and critical infrastructure.
The underwater glider, SD-1 Fathom, is capable of patrolling for up to three months at a time in search of detecting and monitoring underwater threats.
It deploys the platform Lura, an AI system powered by a large acoustic model, comparable to a large language model but trained to classify and localise underwater acoustic signatures, such as those emitted by ships and submarines.
According to Helsing, Lura can detect sounds 10 times quieter than those identified by other AI models. It can also distinguish between individual vessels within the same class and does so up to 40 times faster than human operators, it claimed.
Helsing added that hundreds of SD-1 Fathoms can be deployed simultaneously, forming a mobile underwater sensor network that detects, classifies, and relays information about threats in near real time.
The fledgling firm, which was founded in 2021 and valued at just under 5bn Euros during its latest funding round last summer, likens the system to a constellation of underwater satellites, continuously monitored by a single operator from a Maritime Headquarters.
The technology can be offered as a contracted service or operated directly by national navies.
“Lura detects so our navies can deter,” said Gundbert Scherf, co-founder and co-CEO of Helsing. “We must harness new technologies to keep pace with the threats against our critical infrastructure, national waters, and way of life.”
The announcement comes amid growing concern across Europe about the security of subsea infrastructure. Suspicious activity, including apparent sabotage of undersea cables, has raised alarms among defence officials.
Earlier this year, the UK government launched an inquiry into the vulnerability of its subsea cables following the damage to two North Sea lines in 2024, believed to be the result of foreign interference.
“Helsing designed Lura and SG-1 following interest from several navies in adaptable and scalable underwater surveillance,” added Amelia Gould, general manager, Helsing Maritime.
“The capabilities were recently demonstrated at HM Naval Base Portsmouth for a select audience…the company plans to deploy the system within the year.’
