Role & capabilities
- Underwater survey
- Environmental assessment
- Primary domain
- Underwater
- System type
- Autonomous underwater vehicle
- Developer / manufacturer
- Exail; Thales for French sonar integration
- Origin / production countries
- France
- Other names
- No additional names recorded
- Variants / configurations
- A18-M standard; Extended A18-M for French SLAM-F
- Operators / programme customers
- French Navy — contracted SLAM-F customer
Evidence & current status
Published capabilities and limits refer to the cited configuration; unreported values remain unknown.
A18-M is Exail's medium autonomous underwater vehicle for mine-detection surveys and environmental assessment. It carries synthetic-aperture sonar and processes survey data onboard before transferring results to the wider mission system. Deployment options include a support ship, shore facilities and the Inspector 125 surface vehicle. It belongs within a connected mine-countermeasure system, although the underwater vehicle has its own navigation and mission functions.
The published standard baseline is a 4.5-metre vehicle with a 300-metre operating limit and a stated 24-hour duration at three knots. These figures should not be silently assigned to the extended French derivative. In November 2024, Exail and Thales announced selection to supply eight AUVs for France's SLAM-F programme, with another eight as options. That version integrates Thales SAMDIS 600 sonar and requires its own configuration evidence.
The distinction matters for both procurement and comparison: eight options are not eight delivered vehicles, and an established family does not establish acceptance of each new payload. This profile records the production commitment while retaining the standard product table as an explicitly labelled baseline.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Hull / propulsion | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Dimensions | Standard: 4.5 m length; 18-inch diameter | Manufacturer baseline; configuration and conditions affect performance. Source |
| Displacement / mass | Standard: 442 kg | Manufacturer baseline; configuration and conditions affect performance. Source |
| Payload | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Endurance | Standard: up to 24 hours at 3 knots | Manufacturer baseline; configuration and conditions affect performance. Source |
| Range | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Speed | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Operating depth | Standard: 3–300 m | Manufacturer baseline; configuration and conditions affect performance. Source |
| Sensors | Standard: synthetic-aperture sonar and CTD; SLAM-F: SAMDIS 600 | Distinct standard and extended French configurations. Source |
| Communications / control | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source |
| Launch / deployment | Shore, support vessel or Inspector 125 with appropriate handling equipment | Manufacturer baseline; configuration and conditions affect performance. Source |
Documented milestones
French selection announced
Eight extended AUVs selected, with eight further vehicles as options.
Read the announcement
Publication history
- — Published reference update.
Suggest a correction to this entry
Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- Exail A18-M (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
- Exail military AUV comparison (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
- Exail/Thales SLAM-F selection (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer