Undersea Defence Technology conference

Undersea Defence Technology is an annual international conference and exhibition for the undersea warfare and naval technology community, bringing together naval officers, defence procurement officials and industry from across NATO and partner nations. It rotates between European venues and functions as one of the primary forums where subsea capability announcements and procurement signals surface publicly.

The conference sits alongside the Combined Naval Event as one of two principal industry gatherings where the maritime autonomous-systems sector shapes procurement narrative ahead of formal contract announcements. Its value lies less in any single disclosure than in the pattern of certification updates, capability demonstrations and industry positioning that precede government decisions later in the year.

At UDT's April 2026 edition, BAE Systems used the platform to state that its Herne extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle remained on track for Lloyd's Register certification and delivery to the Royal Navy within the year, a status update that later became notable chiefly for what followed it elsewhere.