Italian shipbuilding major unveils its first underwater drone system

October 24, 2025, by Nadja Skopljak

Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri has launched its first underwater drone system for the protection of critical underwater infrastructure in both civil needs and defense and security applications.

The DEEP platform consists of a network of underwater sensors for early warning, a command and control center for real-time operational management, a team of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) capable of conducting missions at different levels of autonomy, cooperation, and coordination, and an AI-based system dedicated to data analysis and processing.

“The launch of DEEP is tangible proof of our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation ever deeper. Today we have validated an integrated unmanned underwater drone system that represents an innovative and concrete solution to the challenge of protecting critical infrastructure by using the best technologies available,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri.

The system has been developed for the protection, development, and maintenance of critical underwater infrastructure and port areas, as well as performing monitoring and environmental protection activities.

DEEP was launched on October 23 at the Naval Support and Experimentation Center of La Spezia during a demonstration mission.

“This achievement is the result of the work of an outstanding industrial supply chain that enables us to anticipate market needs and position ourselves for the future. We are proud to lead this transformation, which makes a real contribution to the security, growth, competitiveness and technological autonomy of our national system, while also projecting us toward global leadership in the underwater economy,” Folgiero said.