Elbit Unveils Underwater Drones at Paris Naval Show

Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems will debut its unmanned underwater vehicles at Euronaval 2026, a major naval exhibition scheduled for November 3 through 6 in Paris. The announcement signals the company's expansion from surface maritime operations into the underwater domain.

Elbit acquired International Submarine Engineering Ltd. (ISE) last week. ISE is a provider of autonomous underwater systems that has delivered more than 250 vehicles to customers in over 20 countries. The acquisition added these capabilities to Elbit's existing portfolio of maritime solutions.

The new unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) will be showcased alongside the Seagull family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The Seagull system has conducted patrol, reconnaissance, mine neutralization, and anti-submarine operations since 2017. However, these previous systems were focused on missions above the sea surface.

Oren Sabag, General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR & EW, stated that navies are increasingly seeking comprehensive autonomous solutions for complex maritime missions. He noted that the addition of UUV capabilities strengthens the company's ability to provide a holistic operational solution spanning surface and underwater systems.

The new portfolio includes modular Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). These are designed for intelligence gathering, mine countermeasure operations, anti-submarine warfare, seabed mapping, and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure. The systems support long-endurance autonomous operations and integrate payloads such as sonars, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, and mission-specific sensors.

Elbit describes a vertically integrated approach that enables coordinated autonomous maritime formations. This architecture allows for integrated operations between underwater and surface autonomous systems. It also supports integrated manned-unmanned teaming concepts, where human operators work in tandem with drone-style vehicles.

Sources indicate no expected problems with the French government regarding Israeli participation. This stands in contrast to recent years, where air force-focused conferences have seen friction between Paris and Jerusalem. The Euronaval event serves as the stage for Elbit to present these new coordinated surface and underwater naval operations to international buyers.