Arkeocean Unveils the M Platform: an Agile, Modular Underwater Drone for Under €50,000

Arkeocean unveils the M Platform, a compact, agile and modular underwater drone offered for under €50,000. Capable of settling on the seabed and remaining there for extended periods, it combines an open architecture, external payloads and proprietary SEAKER micro-USBL technology integrated as standard. The M Platform combines versatility, operational flexibility and ease of deployment. Following successful sea trials at the Portuguese Navy Operational Experimentation Centre in Tróia, Portugal, it will be presented at Euronaval.

At the heart of the M Platform, a modular architecture allows external payloads with an apparent weight of up to 7 kg in water to be installed. By separating the vehicle from its mission equipment, Arkeocean enables the same platform to be adapted to different requirements without having to design a dedicated drone for each application. Inspection, observation, maritime security and defence, including mine countermeasures, are among the many potential applications.

“The result of five years of innovation in autonomous underwater robotics and swarm technologies, the M Platform brings together our expertise and our customers’ operational realities. It is an innovative, immediately operational platform and a true enabler of autonomy and swarm operations. It meets today’s needs while opening the way to tomorrow’s capabilities, thanks to an architecture designed to evolve with its users’ missions and ambitions.”

— Tamara BRIZARD, Co-founder and Director of Strategy

This modularity is based on a software-defined approach. The vehicle provides a common, robust hardware foundation, while onboard software and mission applications determine much of its capabilities. Software updates can enhance its functionality over time, while new payloads can extend its range of applications. For operators, a drone purchased today can therefore gain new capabilities tomorrow.

This architecture also forms the foundation of a growing ecosystem of payloads and applications. Arkeocean is developing a range of dedicated modules and working to integrate solutions designed by specialist partners or third-party suppliers. The aim is to enable operators to choose the equipment and software best suited to each mission while retaining a common vehicle.

With SEAKER micro-USBL technology integrated as standard, the M Platform is “autonomous-ready” and “swarm-ready”: it is designed to enable the progression towards autonomous operations and coordinated missions involving multiple drones. It can also be remotely operated via a fibre-optic link up to 2 km or through a tether. These operating modes allow the level of control and supervision to be adapted to the conditions of each operation.

Less than one metre long and weighing approximately 26 kg in air in its base configuration, the M Platform is designed to be launched and recovered by a single operator. Its compact size reduces the logistical footprint while retaining the ability to integrate specialised payloads.

The sea trials conducted at Tróia, Portugal, represent an important milestone in its development. Its presentation at Euronaval will illustrate Arkeocean’s vision: a common, immediately operational platform and an ecosystem of technologies and applications designed to evolve.

The commercial launch of the M Platform is scheduled for January 2027. A limited number of pre-orders will open as an exclusive preview at Euronaval.