UK Royal Navy launches new Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office

The RN experimental vessel Patrick Blackett deploys a remotely operated APAC24 sea boat during the 2024 iteration of Portugal's annual ‘REPMUS' maritime unmanned systems (MUSs) exercise. (Crown Copyright)

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has inaugurated a new Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) that aims to speed up the adoption of advanced technologies into front-line operations.

Announcing the milestone on 29 April, the RN said the new innovation unit, which has now achieved full operational capability, combines the expertise of specialist teams from the former Office of the Chief Technology Officer, NavyX, and the Navy AI Cell to create a new DCTO as a single entity.

The new team will rapidly prototype, test, and deploy emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy, and directed-energy weapons – to support naval operations and address urgent operational requirements.

“Different to how the teams worked in the past, the DCTO will have an entrepreneurial mindset to ensure they drive groundbreaking innovation forwards,” the RN said.

The DCTO's first prototype project is already under way and has applied lessons from the Ukraine conflict to reduce operational risks through the delivery of new autonomous systems, related training, and the creation of a framework for the introduction of other autonomous equipment into operations, the RN said.

For the project, the team has worked in close collaboration with the RN and Royal Marines, including regulators, policymakers, and planners, to facilitate the transition from concept to deployment.

The DCTO will continue to utilise the RN's bespoke experimental trials and evaluation vessel XV Patrick Blackett as a testbed for established systems and a floating laboratory for newer technologies.

As part of the initiative, a new