As the Royal Marines pivot to the Commando Force model, the emphasis on raiding and special forces operations has intensified. In this evolving landscape, UK-based SubSea Craft (SSC) stands out as a specialist manufacturer developing cutting-edge products for operators within the special forces and commando community. Their mission is clear: translate urgent operational requirements into deployable systems with remarkable agility.
Bridging User Needs with Agility
SubSea Craft operates from a modern facility in Old Portsmouth, formerly the headquarters of Ben Ainslie Racing. This integrated hub brings together design, prototyping, testing, and production under one roof. The company’s structure supports iterative development cycles of approximately 100 days, allowing user feedback to shape outcomes without the delays typical of traditional prime contractor programmes. This approach prioritises modularity, ensuring components evolve independently while maintaining full interoperability across allied forces. Platforms are designed as part of a broader ecosystem, integrating seamlessly with existing force structures and avoiding proprietary constraints that hinder joint operations.
The development philosophy at SSC addresses longstanding acquisition pain points, particularly the prolonged timelines from concept to fielding that often render solutions obsolete by deployment. By engaging end users from the outset, SSC embeds operational urgency into every phase. This user-centred model has produced systems spanning surface, subsurface, and air domains, with software at the core rather than an afterthought. Autonomy and artificial intelligence are built in from the foundation, enabling platforms to adapt to evolving threats without requiring complete redesigns.
Aligned with AUKUS Pillar 2 priorities such as Maritime Autonomy, Rapid Capability Delivery, and Manned/Unmanned teaming, SSC has self-funded the design and build of three complementary platforms: VICTA (Diver Delivery Unit – DDU), MARS (USV), and CADDIS (UAV).
VICTA: Dual Domain Stealth
VICTA is a dual-domain insertion platform capable of manned, remote, or fully autonomous operation, broadening tactical options for maritime special operations. The project began in 2018, and the hull is constructed of carbon fibre, covered in a synthetic, coloured outer ‘wrap’ that ensures watertight integrity. At 11.95 metres, the craft achieves surface speeds exceeding 40 knots. By flooding ballast tanks, it can submerge in under two minutes, transitioning to a wet-sub configuration that conceals approach. VICTA features a fly-by-wire control system that manages diving, surfacing, and propulsion controls.
A standard load accommodates eight operators (typically 2 pilots and 6 others) with full equipment for missions extending beyond 200 nautical miles, permitting launch from well outside adversary sensor ranges. It can be fitted in a 40-foot container (FEU) and, at 9.3 tonnes, would be compatible with the Type 26 Frigate Mission Bay Handling System. More commonly, such craft operate from the well dock of the Bay-class auxiliaries, the future Multi Role Strike Ships, and other allied vessels or platforms of opportunity.
During a special operations forces insertion scenario, VICTA might approach subsurface from a standoff distance, covertly deploy the CADDIS UAV from underwater for a real-time ISR feed, then allow the team to disembark once the landing zone is confirmed clear. The craft subsequently relocates autonomously to a preprogrammed extraction point at a different location and time, separating infiltration and exfiltration routes to complicate enemy predictive modelling and reduce exposure of personnel to counter-detection measures. This autonomy stems from navigation algorithms that operate effectively in GPS-denied environments, leveraging inertial systems.
Deception is another core function. When operated uncrewed, VICTA can emulate the acoustic and magnetic signature of a larger submarine, diverting adversary attention and anti-submarine warfare assets away from the primary manned operation. For contested logistics, the platform’s combined surface and submerged endurance enables sustained transfer of personnel, sensors, or munitions between a main operating base and forward positions without committing high-value shipping to the littoral zone.
MARS: Strike Sentinel
MARS is a compact, multi-role Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) scaled for integration with existing maritime mobility packages, developed from an operator requirement in just 100 days. The vessels are manufactured in the UK and have already been trialled in Australia, carrying US-made payloads. The craft can achieve up to 30 knots and has a range of up to 550 km. It can be transported aboard Long Range Insertion Craft or larger platforms; the vessel extends operational reach into environments too hazardous for manned assets. MARS has payload bays that accommodate a spectrum of effectors, from soft-kill electronic warfare systems that disrupt adversary command links to hard-kill