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Seaquest S
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Seaquest S

Naval Group's 9m armed uncrewed surface vessel, a DANAE finalist built with SIREHNA and Couach.

Last refreshed: 8 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Timeline for Seaquest S

#14 9 Oct

Entered the twelve-month DANAE improvement phase

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: France shortlists three armed boat teams
View full timeline →

Background

Seaquest S is a 9m uncrewed surface vessel developed by Naval Group with SIREHNA and Couach. In October 2026 it reached the final three of France's DANAE programme for armed uncrewed boats.

DANAE began in January 2026, when seven designs were tested off Saint-Mandrier near Toulon. The three finalists have twelve months to build and test a larger prototype, and the French Navy expects to choose at the end of 2027.

Naval Group is running two other uncrewed tracks this autumn: the 37m Seaquest M surface vessel and a combat underwater demonstrator.

Common Questions
What is Naval Group's Seaquest S?
What is the DANAE programme?
DANAE is a French fast-track programme for armed uncrewed surface vessels to guard ports and escort ships. Three Teams were shortlisted in 2026.Source: https://navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/10/french-mod-selects-top-contenders-for-danae-armed-surface-drone-project
When will France choose its DANAE armed drone boat?
The finalists have twelve months to improve their boats, and the French Navy expects to choose at the end of 2027.Source: https://navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/10/french-mod-selects-top-contenders-for-danae-armed-surface-drone-project
Source Material

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 8 November 2026. Editorial standards.