Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK “building the factories of the future” as government launches next phase of new munitions and energetics factories, published on 19 November 2025, how many orders he has placed for SG-1 Fathom underwater gliders.

Under Atlantic Bastion, announced in the Strategic Defence Review, the Royal Navy (RN) will be exploiting new technologies through a portfolio of lean crewed, remotely operated and uncrewed/autonomous airborne, surface and sub-surface vehicles, sensors and nodes.

Helsing who makes the SG-1 Fathom have been selected to conduct a technology demonstration for the RN which is taking place in December 2025.

The RN is running a solicitation for Atlantic Net, the first phase of Atlantic Bastion, and in full adherence to commercial regulation, it will conduct a fair and transparent assessment against peer proposals, ahead of any contract award.