German autonomous unmanned submarine system enters a decisive phase

On May 7, TKMS obtained an AiP certificate for the demonstrators MUM2, i.e. an autonomous unmanned XLUUV-class submarine system. This event is important not only for the project itself, but also for the entire direction in which underwater marine robotics is heading.

MUM2 with valid DNV confirmation

The AiP certificate, granted by Det Norske Veritas, confirms that MUM2 has been designed and developed in accordance with the DNV classification rule "Underwater Technology" and guidelines for the Class "Autonomous and remotely controlled vessels". It is worth noting that this is not an AIP drive, but an Approval in Principle, which is a fundamental acceptance of adopted Projector solutionstCommon.

TKMS is a strong argument in technological competition. The German company became the first entity in the country to have the design and development of an autonomous unmanned submarine confirmed by such a certificate. The importance of this decision goes beyond itself MUM2, as it creates a reference point for subsequent projects of autonomous unmanned vessels.

MUM2 before trials at sea

MUM2, or Modifiable Underwater Mothership, is a large XLUUV-class demonstrator with a length of 25 m and a width of 7 m. The first sea trip is scheduled for 2026, but the real test is yet to come. The apparatus is to be tested in specially developed scenarios that show whether the ambitious concept of an autonomous submarine system will actually work in practice.

The consortium coordinated by the TKMS, which also includes EvoLogics GmbH, the University of Rostock, Berlin University of Technology, the German Aviation and Space Centre and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communications, Information Processing and Ergonomics. Research and development project MUM2 is financed by the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy. The demonstration test planned at the end of this year makes the project the most important step today – the moment when presentations and declarations end, while real verification of the capabilities of the system under water begins.

Unmanned system between civil and military applications

MUM2 is presented as a modular unmanned submarine system for applications in the civil maritime industry. Among them were transport and distribution of cargo, offshore wind energy, applications in the oil and gas industry, and exploration of hard-to-access marine waters, including the icy, arctic areas.

However, it is hard not to notice that solutions to this scale may also be of interest to the troops. An Autonomous Submarine Demonstrator of this magnitude may in future be of interest to the military, especially in reconnaissance, mine and combating submarines. This is why MUM2 is more than just a demonstrators for the civil maritime industry. It is a signal that underwater the next stage of technological competition begins.