Advanced Submarine Combat Systems and Undersea Networks Shape Future Naval Warfare

The Submarine Tactical Integrated Combat System (SUBTICS), developed by Naval Group (formerly DCNS), provides a fully digital combat management platform for Scorpene‑class submarines. Its open‑architecture design and multifunction consoles allow real‑time integration of sonar, radar, ESM and navigation data over a high‑speed fiber‑optic bus, reducing crew requirements to roughly 30–45 personnel.

Analysts note that naval forces are shifting from platform‑centric operations to subsea information networks that combine crewed vessels with uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs). Initiatives such as AUKUS Pillar II aim to develop payloads for UUVs, while concerns grow over threats to undersea cables from China and Russia. The emerging undersea domain awareness (UDA) architecture is driving nations—including Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Brazil and others—to invest in hybrid force structures that integrate autonomous systems with traditional submarines.