CAMP
US Navy programme to develop a next-generation extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle.
Last refreshed: 18 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will a Norwegian-led design team delay or strengthen the US Navy's next submarine drone?
Timeline for CAMP
Kongsberg to design a US Navy drone sub
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaMentioned in: Kongsberg lands Fugro and DOF deals
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
The Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) is a US Defense Innovation Unit programme to design an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle; DIU selected Kongsberg Discovery and Oceaneering International on 15 July 2026 to lead concept and system design, due in the third quarter of 2026.
CAMP runs through the Defense Innovation Unit, the Pentagon's fast-acquisition Arm set up to pull commercial and non-traditional suppliers into defence programmes rather than relying solely on established US primes; its design brief weights modularity and interoperability so the resulting vehicle can carry different payloads across missions.
Awarding the design lead to a Norwegian-led team complicates the assumption that the US Navy's next-generation seabed hardware stays domestic, sitting alongside, and potentially competing with, the AUKUS Pillar II timeline for autonomous undersea warfare.
What is the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform programme?
Who is designing the CAMP XLUUV for the US Navy?
When is the CAMP design due?
Why did the US Navy pick a Norwegian company to design its submarine drone?
