France's Exail Combines Oryx Drones and Neptis to Expand Naval Surveillance Across Multiple Threats.

Exail's Oryx H-8 unmanned surface vessel displayed at Euronaval 2026 in Paris, designed for maritime surveillance and adaptable to different naval missions through mission-specific sensor payloads. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The proposed architecture aims to extend naval surveillance beyond the immediate reach of warships, using drones capable of operating for extended periods with different sensor configurations. Rather than relying on a single platform, Exail wants to distribute detection capabilities across several vessels, allowing naval operators to monitor larger maritime areas, identify suspicious activity, and adjust missions as threats evolve.

At Euronaval 2026, held in Paris from November 3 to 6, Exail is presenting a full-scale Oryx H-8 alongside a model of the larger Oryx O-16. The company had announced Neptis on October 9, introducing an approach to maritime surveillance built around distributed autonomous systems. Its exhibition also includes inertial navigation equipment, the UMIS robotic mine countermeasures system and technologies for reducing ship magnetic signatures, managing onboard energy and supporting submarine operations.

Three Oryx drones adapted to different naval missions.

The Oryx family comprises three unmanned surface vessels (USVs) based on technologies developed for Exail’s DriX range, already used in civilian and military maritime operations. The H-8, H-9 and O-16 differ primarily in their size, endurance and capacity to carry sensors or deploy underwater equipment. This allows navies to select platforms according to the distance from shore, the duration of surveillance and the nature of the mission.

The Oryx H-8 is the smallest of the three. Measuring 7.71 meters in length and displacing 1.6 tonnes, it has an advertised range of 1,000 nautical miles, an endurance of less than ten days and a maximum speed below 14 knots. Its compact dimensions make it suitable for coastal and offshore surveillance, while its towing capability allows the integration of certain measuring and underwater detection systems.

The H-9 measures 9 meters and displaces 2.1 tonnes. Its range increases to 2,000 nautical miles, with an endurance approaching twenty days and a maximum speed below 13 knots. The additional capacity supports longer offshore missions and the integration of equipment such as side-scan sonars or towed underwater sensors. Both the H-8 and H-9 can therefore contribute to surveillance missions that would otherwise require the presence of a crewed vessel.

The Oryx O-16 is designed for more demanding deployments. Measuring 15.75 meters and displacing 10.5 tonnes, it combines hybrid propulsion with a fuel capacity of 2,300 liters. Exail advertises a range of 3,500 nautical miles, an endurance approaching thirty days and a maximum speed below 16 knots. Actual performance depends on operating speed, installed payloads and the use of towed equipment.

Its larger hull provides additional space for mission systems and underwater vehicles. Depending on its configuration, the O-16 can support autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and towed sensors. These capabilities make it relevant for seabed mapping, underwater inspection, mine countermeasures and missions requiring several types of sensors. Exail also highlights navigation and survivability demonstrated in sea state 7 conditions, an important consideration for prolonged operations away from sheltered waters.

All three platforms rely on remote communications, including radio and satellite links, to exchange mission data and receive instructions beyond the horizon. Exail also uses precision inertial navigation technologies to reduce dependence on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. This is particularly relevant when operating in areas affected by jamming or other navigation interference, although maintaining communications remains a separate requirement for effective remote supervision.

A scale model of Exail's 16-meter Oryx O-16 unmanned surface vessel displayed at Euronaval 2026 in Paris, designed for long-range maritime surveillance with an endurance of up to 30 days. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Neptis coordinates autonomous drones and their sensors

Neptis provides the command-and-control component of Exail’s maritime surveillance architecture. Its role extends beyond supervising individual drones. The system is intended to coordinate several autonomous platforms, process information collected from their sensors and present operators with a shared tactical picture of the maritime environment.

The software architecture combines mission planning, tactical track visualization, classification and advanced data fusion. Depending on the configuration selected by a navy, it can also incorporate artificial intelligence-assisted decision support and interfaces with existing command systems. These functions are designed to help operators interpret observations from different platforms and determine where additional surveillance is required.

For example, a surface contact initially detected by the radar of one Oryx could be examined using electro-optical sensors carried by another platform. Information from different detection systems could then be brought together within Neptis, allowing operators to assess the contact and decide whether to continue tracking it or redirect available drones. Such coordination would help make better use of assets deployed across a large maritime area.

Interoperability with naval command-and-control systems is another important aspect. The objective is not to create a separate surveillance network whose information remains confined to drone operators, but to make these observations available to the wider naval force. The ability to integrate data into existing tactical networks will be particularly important for navies seeking to use autonomous platforms alongside frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and other surveillance assets.

The architecture is designed to address four main operational requirements, each involving different sensors and methods of employment.

The first is intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Oryx vessels can carry maritime surveillance radars, electro-optical and infrared sensors, Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers and potentially electronic surveillance equipment. Depending on the payload, they could monitor maritime traffic, identify vessels operating without normal identification signals and follow suspicious movements around ports, coastlines or major shipping routes.

Anti-submarine warfare represents a second application. Oryx platforms equipped with suitable acoustic sensors, including towed arrays or active sonar systems, could contribute to detecting underwater contacts and extending the acoustic coverage available to naval forces. The effectiveness of such missions would depend on sensor integration, acoustic conditions, and the ability to transmit useful detection information to the units responsible for anti-submarine operations. The drones would contribute to the detection network rather than replace the warships, aircraft and helicopters involved in tracking and engaging submarines.

The third requirement concerns the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. Telecommunications cables, pipelines and offshore energy installations are difficult to monitor continuously because of their geographic distribution. Oryx platforms carrying appropriate underwater sensors could inspect selected areas, monitor approaches to sensitive infrastructure, or help investigate unusual activity. The larger O-16 is particularly relevant where underwater vehicles must be deployed to examine the seabed or specific installations.

Finally, Exail identifies the detection of low-flying aerial threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles, as another potential mission. Surface drones equipped with suitable radar and electro-optical sensors could provide additional observation points around a naval formation or protected maritime area. Their role would be to detect and track aerial contacts and transmit this information to the naval command network. Exail does not present the Oryx family itself as an aerial interception capability.

Extending surveillance around warships and strategic maritime routes

This combination of surface drones and coordinated sensors could be useful for naval forces operating across large maritime areas, particularly when conventional warships cannot maintain a continuous presence everywhere. A group of Oryx vessels deployed at different positions could monitor several approaches simultaneously and provide additional warning of surface, underwater or aerial activity.

Aircraft carrier groups provide one possible application. Surface drones operating ahead of or around a naval formation could extend the area covered by surveillance sensors, while allowing escorts to concentrate on other tasks. Depending on their payloads, the drones could contribute to identifying surface contacts or monitoring underwater activity along the formation’s route. Such employment would nevertheless require close integration with existing naval command systems, operational procedures and communications networks.

The Strait of Hormuz offers another example of where distributed maritime surveillance could prove useful. Attacks against commercial shipping, threats from aerial and maritime drones and the possible employment of naval mines have increased the demands placed on forces responsible for monitoring this strategic passage. Oryx vessels could be positioned along selected approaches or shipping routes to observe traffic, detect suspicious activity and transmit information to military vessels operating farther away.

The Baltic Sea presents a different requirement. Under NATO’s Baltic Sentry activities, allied forces have increased their attention to the protection of critical underwater infrastructure following incidents involving submarine cables and other seabed installations. Autonomous surface vessels equipped with appropriate underwater sensors could complement patrol ships and surveillance aircraft by carrying out recurring missions near sensitive locations.

The Black Sea also illustrates the growing importance of distributed surveillance. The extensive use of unmanned surface vessels, aerial drones and naval mines has complicated maritime operations and increased the need for persistent observation. In such environments, autonomous sensors could help detect activity across multiple areas without requiring every surveillance position to be occupied by a crewed warship.

These applications, however, depend on more than the endurance of the drones. Reliable communications, protection against electronic interference and compatibility with naval combat systems are essential. Precision inertial navigation can help maintain positioning when satellite navigation is disrupted, but it does not eliminate the risks associated with jamming or the loss of communication links. The effectiveness of Neptis will therefore also depend on how the system manages degraded communications and integrates autonomous assets into established naval procedures.

French Navy evaluations support the development of long-endurance drones

Exail’s military offering builds on experience accumulated through civilian hydrographic surveys, offshore operations and autonomous maritime missions. The group reports that its unmanned surface vessels have collectively traveled more than 1.5 million nautical miles, accumulated over 300,000 operational hours and generated sales of more than 90 vessels across its DriX and Inspector ranges. These figures reflect the experience of several platform families rather than the operational record of Oryx alone.

The French Navy is already evaluating the potential of long-endurance autonomous surface vessels. An Oryx O-16 is undergoing an experimental campaign in the Mediterranean under the supervision of the French defense procurement agency (DGA), for the benefit of the Naval Action Force. The program, launched in June 2026, is intended to examine how such vessels could support maritime surveillance, underwater warfare and broader naval operations.

The evaluation program runs until April 2027 and is expected to represent approximately 120 days at sea across seven campaigns. Missions are being progressively extended from several days to periods exceeding twenty days, allowing the DGA and French Navy to examine endurance, autonomous navigation, sensor employment and the operational integration of the vessel over longer deployments.

These evaluations form part of France’s broader effort to introduce unmanned systems into naval operations. The French Navy is considering the acquisition of long-endurance surface drones from 2027, although the operational configurations, quantities and procurement decisions will depend on the results of ongoing assessments and future requirements.

Exail is also expanding the military applications of its existing surface drone technology. In January 2026, the company announced an order for a DriX H-9 intended to integrate equipment for countering aerial drones. The group has separately secured additional contracts for K-STER expendable underwater vehicles used in mine neutralization, reflecting its established position in robotic mine warfare.

The industrial dimension is becoming increasingly important as navies look beyond isolated demonstrations toward the procurement of autonomous systems in larger numbers. Exail combines expertise in vessel design, inertial navigation, maritime robotics and underwater equipment, supported by production facilities in France and Belgium. Its Ostend site, in particular, contributes to the production of underwater mine countermeasure systems, while the company’s surface vessel activities draw on a separate industrial base.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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