The US Navy is set to gain a long-range, multi-mission autonomous undersea vehicle (AUV) with Metron’s Lancet.
Built for endurance and flexibility, the new platform features modular integration, real-time adaptive planning, and a “production-ready” architecture, allowing it to adapt quickly to a variety of missions.
It pairs Metron’s Resilient Mission Autonomy software with Cellula Robotics’ Guardian AUV as the host platform. Integer Technologies and General Dynamics are also supporting mission health management and payload integration.
“Our Lancet prototype delivers a scalable, cost-effective system with the reach, reliability, persistence, and payload delivery capability needed to be operationally relevant,” said Van Gurley, CEO of Metron.
“By integrating proven hardware around a mature autonomy core and designing the manufacturing plan to support rapid scaling, we are creating an autonomous force multiplier for the undersea domain.”
The upcoming navy deployment of Lancet is backed by a Defense Innovation Unit contract under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform program, aiming to rapidly field autonomous AUVs with minimal human oversight.
Trialing the Future of AUVs
Metron’s work builds on open-water trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 with Cellula Robotics, where its Autonomous Navigation Command and Control software was integrated into the Guardian AUV.
Powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell system, the platform demonstrated extended range and endurance, completing submerged mission profiles, vertical maneuvers, precision station-keeping, and fully autonomous transits.
“This award validates the strength of our strategic partnership with Cellula and our shared commitment to fielding autonomous undersea systems with unmatched endurance and flexibility,” said Christine Judd, Vice President of Metron’s Unmanned Systems Group.
Metron plans a series of at-sea trials to validate the Lancet AUV’s readiness for operational use.
