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Type 92
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Type 92

A planned Royal Navy class of uncrewed anti-submarine warfare sensing platform named in the 2026 Defence Investment Plan.

On 16 July 2026 the Ministry of Defence confirmed Type 92 as a roughly 90-metre uncrewed anti-submarine class, one of four uncrewed Royal Navy types sharing a £1.5 billion four-year funding line, with no shipyard yet named for any of them.

Last refreshed: 24 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can an uncrewed 90-metre vessel really replace a crewed submarine hunter?

Timeline for Type 92

#7 16 Jul

Type 91 to 94 robot fleet takes shape

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#5 30 Jun

Named as an uncrewed anti-submarine warfare sensing platform

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: Britain names four uncrewed warship classes
View full timeline →
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Background

Type 92 is the Royal Navy's planned class of autonomous anti-submarine warfare vessel, envisaged at around 90 metres, one of four uncrewed classes running from Type 91 to Type 94 in the Navy's surface fleet redesign.

The class sits inside a wider shift in doctrine, in which crewed motherships direct fleets of uncrewed sensors and weapons rather than a single hull fighting alone. An anti-submarine drone in that structure extends sonar and sensor coverage into contested waters without risking a crewed vessel, complementing rather than replacing crewed submarine hunters.

No contractor, unit cost or firm in-service date has been attached to Type 92 beyond the programme's shared 2030 aspiration, so its practical shape remains a design brief rather than a shipyard order.

Key Issues
Royal Navy autonomy

Type 92 joins a four-class family

The Ministry of Defence named Type 92 on 30 June 2026 inside a £5 billion autonomy commitment, then filled in its shape on 16 July: a roughly 90-metre anti-submarine warfare vessel, one of four uncrewed classes sharing a £1.5 billion, four-year funding line running to 2030.

For Type 92 specifically, the detail settles what an anti-submarine drone contributes to the redesigned surface fleet: extended sonar and sensor reach without a crewed hull entering contested waters. No contractor or in-service date beyond that 2030 aspiration has been attached to Type 92 itself, leaving procurement as the open question.

Common Questions
What is the Royal Navy's Type 92 class?
Type 92 is a planned autonomous anti-submarine warfare vessel roughly 90 metres long, one of four new Royal Navy uncrewed classes.Source: The News (Portsmouth)
Why is the Royal Navy building an autonomous anti-submarine vessel?
Type 92 extends sonar and sensor coverage against submarines without putting a crewed hull at risk, part of a wider shift to uncrewed motherships and sensors.Source: The News (Portsmouth)
Who will build the Type 92 anti-submarine vessel?
No contractor has yet been named for Type 92, and no firm in-service date beyond the wider programme's 2030 aspiration has been given.Source: The News (Portsmouth)
How much is the UK spending on the Type 91 to 94 uncrewed fleet?
Type 92 sits within a £1.5 billion, four-year Ministry of Defence funding line covering all four uncrewed classes, Type 91 to 94.Source: The News (Portsmouth)

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 24 July 2026. Editorial standards.