French defense technology company Exail has introduced Neptis, a new system designed to coordinate multiple uncrewed boats and sensors so navies can monitor larger areas of ocean without relying as heavily on crewed ships.
Unveiled on October 9, Neptis combines the company’s new Oryx family of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) with defense-grade payloads and a command-and-control system.
The setup is designed to support maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, undersea infrastructure protection, and counter-drone missions.
By linking sensors operating above, on, and below the water, Neptis aims to give naval forces a broader view of activity at sea and help operators make faster decisions.
One System to Coordinate Multiple Boats
Neptis allows operators to supervise and coordinate multiple autonomous platforms through a shared command system.
Depending on mission needs, it can incorporate data fusion, target classification, mission planning, and AI-assisted decision support.
The system builds on Exail’s experience with UMIS, its mine countermeasures system, which coordinates uncrewed surface and underwater platforms. Neptis extends that approach to a wider range of naval missions.
Its Oryx lineup includes the H-8, H-9, and O-16 models, designed for different endurance, deployment, and payload requirements across coastal and offshore operations.
Exail said its uncrewed surface vessels have navigated more than 1.5 million nautical miles and logged over 300,000 operational hours across civilian and defense missions.
The company has not yet announced specific customers or deployment timelines for Neptis.
