Maritime Autonomy Helsing opens first UK resilience factory to build autonomous underwater systems for anti-submarine defence

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Helsing has opened its first British Resilience Factory in Plymouth, establishing a new production and research hub for autonomous underwater gliders designed to support allied anti-submarine operations. The facility marks a major expansion of the company’s maritime capabilities and forms part of Helsing’s broader investment commitments under the UK’s Trinity House agreement.

Helsing has moved into the 18,000-square-metre facility in Plymouth and has already begun manufacturing its SG-1 Fathom autonomous underwater glider. The system, developed and built in the United Kingdom, is intended to enhance European and allied undersea surveillance by detecting hostile activity, supporting the protection of sea lines of communication and monitoring critical subsea infrastructure.The SG-1 Fathom is operated together with Helsing’s maritime AI platform Lura. The combination allows the gliders to work individually or in coordinated swarms, providing persistent underwater monitoring. Trials over recent months have been conducted from Turnchapel Wharf and at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) in Scotland, as well as in waters off Western Australia.

Expansion of maritime R&D

To support further development, Helsing plans to establish a research and development centre on the site, equipped with advanced manufacturing systems and software tools. This will make Plymouth the company’s maritime competence hub and central location for future underwater autonomy programmes.The opening also follows the UK Chancellor’s July 2025 announcement supporting Helsing’s investment as part of a 350-million-pound commitment under the 2024 Trinity House agreement. The factory will build and maintain the SG-1 Fathom and serve as a global development site for Helsing’s maritime portfolio.

Local workforce and industrial resilience

The facility will create highly skilled jobs in southwest England, with capacity to expand the workforce over time. According to the UK government, the investment supports the wider objective of strengthening domestic industrial capacity in designated Defence Growth Zones.UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the factory demonstrates how new defence investment can drive employment, capabilities and industrial strengthening in traditional maritime regions such as Plymouth.

Strengthened national and regional partnerships

The opening reinforces Helsing’s collaboration with government, the local authority, the University of Plymouth and regional stakeholders under the “Team Plymouth” partnership. The initiative aims to expand the UK’s maritime autonomy cluster, strengthen domestic supply chains and increase regional innovation capacity.Helsing UK Managing Director Ned Baker emphasised that the facility will produce autonomous systems intended to protect ships, sailors and national infrastructure, highlighting the SG-1 Fathom as an example of combining engineering expertise with scalable AI.

National industrial strategy 

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed Helsing’s investment, connecting it to the government’s plan to direct at least 10 percent of Ministry of Defence equipment spending toward novel technologies. She said the decision reflects confidence in the UK’s engineering base and its role in future defence technology programmes.Amelia Gould, General Manager Maritime at Helsing, noted Plymouth’s deep-water access, industrial heritage and skilled workforce as key reasons for choosing the location.