Exclusive Content

Defence iQ is pleased to share the Uncrewed Naval Systems 2025 agenda, offering a clear snapshot of the discussions, priorities, and capability challenges explored during last year’s iteration in London. The 2025 programme brought together autonomy specialists, operators, and technical decision-makers to examine how uncrewed and autonomous systems are reshaping maritime operations — from ISR and mine-countermeasures to anti-submarine warfare and complex search-and-rescue missions. It provided an in-depth look at the evolving threat landscape and the rapidly advancing requirements driving uncrewed system adoption across modern fleets.

As we look ahead to Uncrewed Naval Systems 2026, taking place 6–7 October in Tróia, Portugal, the insights from last year set the foundation for an even more forward-leaning, mission-driven agenda. The upcoming edition will build on those themes while expanding the focus toward integration, experimentation outputs, and the technologies being trialled across the maritime environment during REPMUS 2026.

Downloading the 2025 agenda gives prospective attendees a strong indication of the depth, relevance, and technical focus they can expect from the 2026 programme.

Our Uncrewed Naval Systems 2025 Post-Show Report captures the key insights and outcomes from Defence IQ’s exceptional event on uncrewed and autonomous technologies at sea. Held in London from 15–16 July, the conference united senior naval leaders, government representatives, industry innovators, and research experts from more than 20 nations. The report explores how uncrewed systems are shaping naval priorities, particularly in:

• Mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare
• ISR and protection of critical underwater infrastructure

It also provides:

• Exclusive insights into national capability roadmaps and procurement priorities
• Lessons from real-world operations and experimentation
• Perspectives on the role of autonomy, AI, and digital innovation in future naval strategy

For defence professionals, this report offers a clear view of where uncrewed naval systems stand today—and where they are heading.

Explore the latest trends and investment priorities shaping the future of uncrewed naval systems in this interactive market report. Built for customisability, the tool allows you to dive into real-time data across global regions and better understand the landscape driving naval innovation.

Key insights include:

• Annual and regional defence spending forecasts
• Programme volume and distribution by type
• Total spend by country and programme classification
• Supplier analysis, including total contract value by type

Whether you're a solution provider, programme leader, or strategic decision-maker, this tool offers a powerful overview of global developments and procurement priorities in the maritime uncrewed systems domain.

Use the filters to tailor the data to your needs and gain strategic insight into where the opportunities lie.

In this exclusive interview, Jürgen Scraback, Head of Unit Maritime Domain at the European Defence Agency, shares his expert insights on the rise of uncrewed naval systems and the critical shift required in defence thinking. From regulatory alignment and interoperability to the ethical use of autonomy and the future of seabed warfare, Scraback outlines how Europe is reimagining naval operations for a new era. This must-read Q&A offers an exciting preview of the upcoming Uncrewed Naval Systems conference and the strategic priorities shaping tomorrow’s maritime domain.

The Uncrewed Naval Systems Market Report offers an in-depth analysis of global defence investments in uncrewed and seabed maritime technologies. Covering 16 key nations, including the U.S., UK, France, Australia, and Japan, the report explores trends driving growth in USVs, UUVs, UAVs, and seabed surveillance systems. With detailed forecasts, programme breakdowns, and market values expected to reach US$3 billion by 2029, this essential resource provides defence professionals and industry stakeholders with strategic insights into the future of autonomous maritime warfare.

This infographic shows the projected growth of the uncrewed naval systems (UNS) market, highlighting rising investment in USVs, USSVs, shipborne UAVs, and advanced seabed sensors that will drive the future of naval capability.

In this exclusive interview, Professor David Manley – Technical Authority for Maritime Survivability at the UK Ministry of Defence and Professor of Naval Architecture at University College London – shares his expert perspective on the developing role of uncrewed systems in naval operations.

Manley draws upon his dual expertise in survivability and warship design in order to provide a comprehensive overview of how uncrewed systems (UXVs) are reshaping maritime defence strategy. He outlines the opportunities and limitations of current technologies, noting their growing importance in reducing risk to personnel, enhancing situational awareness, and enabling bold operational decisions.

Key topics addressed in the interview include:

* Strategic wargaming is helping NATO explore and refine the operational use of uncrewed systems.

* Communication challenges remain a major barrier, particularly for underwater UXVs.

* Swarming drone tactics demand urgent investment in cost-effective countermeasures.

* UXVs are offering asymmetric advantages in recent conflicts, including in Ukraine and the Red Sea.

* The underwater domain is seen as the next frontier for innovation, driven by AI and communication advances.

This discussion helped set the stage at Uncrewed Naval Systems 2025, where Professor Manley shared further findings and engaged with global defence leaders on the future of maritime operations. These insights offer a useful indication of the level of expertise and debate you can expect in the room next October at Uncrewed Naval Systems 2026.

The ground and air uncrewed systems market in our targeted regions is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% until 2029. The reasons for this growth are driven by a range of factors that vary across nations. However, the maturation of certain technologies combined with the demands demonstrated by recent, ongoing, and anticipated conflicts strongly indicates the inevitable "robotisation" of the battlefield.

This report highlights some of the most significant programmes relating to uncrewed systems in Australia, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the U.S. It serves as an essential resource for understanding the current landscape of these critical technologies.

Our Unmanned Systems International Programme and Budget Snapshot 2024-2029 highlights the spending forecast per programme up to FY 2029 while also highlighting speakers and documents that may help the reader better understand future trends to be better prepared for the robotisation of the battlefield.

Uncrewed systems and the technology around them continue to evolve rapidly, calling for greater speed and agility in procurement. We were privileged to interview Captain Dennis Monagle, who faced these challenges head-on.

Here, we explored how the captain was able to speed up procurement while still fulfilling his obligations to his stakeholders of delivering ISR-capable Unmanned Aerial Systems to the Fleet. Through effective partnerships and strong knowledge of the procurement vehicles, MQ-9 Reapers were readied in record time.