Kristen Smith 
- The HADALUS vehicle launched payloads while submerged during a Navy exercise on an undersea test range
- Both companies invested in the development of the vehicle
- A prototype was developed in under 18 months
Raytheon, an RTX company, and Composite Energy Technologies have shown that their HADALUS unmanned undersea vehicle can launch payloads while submerged. The vehicle conducted a series of at-sea missions at a Navy undersea test range during a recent service exercise, RTX said Monday, noting that the demonstrations were the Navy’s first look at the combined launcher and vehicle underwater.
RTX said the test result was a step toward a single undersea platform that could handle detection, reacquisition and engagement within one mission.
Autonomous systems and next-generation capabilities are among the subjects at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Navy Summit on Aug. 27 in Falls Church, Virginia. Register now!
What Is HADALUS?
The vehicle measures 34 feet, with a six-foot cross-section, and has an endurance of more than 2,000 nautical miles. Its exoskeleton is free-flooded and built entirely from carbon fiber.
“This demonstration is an important step in a broader roadmap to deliver autonomous, end‑to‑end undersea capabilities that are far less detectable than surface platforms,” said Jen Gauthier, vice president of naval systems and sustainment at Raytheon.
How Quickly Was HADALUS Built?
Less than 18 months separated the initial sketch from the prototype that went underwater. The companies funded the work, covering vehicle design and construction, integration of the launcher, sonar and electronics, and system testing ahead of the exercise.
Chase Hogoboom, CET’s CEO and president, said the timeline shows the undersea industrial base can move faster than conventional development cycles.
What Came Before the HADALUS Demonstration?
The two companies ran an earlier in-water demonstration of an extended-range uncrewed undersea vehicle in Narragansett Bay in July 2025, using Navy-developed autonomy software available to industry. That vehicle went from concept to demonstration in four months.
CET unveiled HADALUS-XL at the BlueTIDE demonstration event in Rhode Island the following month. The company said the vehicle could carry nearly 5,000 pounds of payload over 2,000 nautical miles.
