LA CIOTAT, France — French maritime technology company Exail has unveiled Neptis, an integrated autonomous maritime surveillance system combining its new Oryx family of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), defense-grade payloads and a centralized command-and-control (C2) network.
Neptis is designed for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Critical Undersea Infrastructure Protection (CUIP) and Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) missions. It coordinates autonomous assets to extend surveillance coverage and maintain a persistent maritime presence while reducing the need to assign crewed warships to routine monitoring.
“Naval surveillance has traditionally relied on sending valuable ships and crews into the areas that need to be monitored. Autonomous systems fundamentally change that equation,” said Sébastien Grall, Head of Maritime Autonomous Systems at Exail. He said Neptis would help navies monitor larger areas, reduce personnel workloads and improve decision-making.
Neptis Command-and-Control System
Neptis allows operators to coordinate multiple autonomous platforms through a shared interface. Its capabilities include tactical track visualization, mission planning, advanced data fusion and AI-assisted classification, integrating information from sensors operating above, on and below the water's surface.
The modular system supports line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, configurable data processing and integration with existing naval command networks. It can operate from shore or ships, while human operators retain authority over critical mission approvals and platform retasking.
Oryx Family of Uncrewed Surface Vessels
The Oryx series comprises three vessels designed for different deployment, endurance and payload requirements.
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Oryx H-8: A compact vessel for rapid deployment, coastal surveillance and local force protection. It measures 7.71 metres, has a displacement of 1.6 tonnes, endurance of up to 10 days, speed below 14 knots and a range of approximately 1,000 nautical miles. Its fuel capacity is 250 litres. It can operate from suitable ships or shore facilities with low logistical requirements.
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Oryx H-9: Designed for coastal and offshore surveillance and multi-sensor missions. It measures 9 metres, has a displacement of 2.1 tonnes, endurance of up to 20 days, speed below 13 knots and a range of approximately 2,000 nautical miles. Its fuel capacity is 550 litres.
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Oryx O-16: Designed for long-duration offshore surveillance and persistent ASW operations. It measures 15.75 metres, has a displacement of 10.5 tonnes, endurance of up to 30 days, speed below 16 knots and a range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles. Its fuel capacity is 2,300 litres, and it uses dual-hybrid propulsion. The vessel can carry heavy payloads, including towed sonars, and support the deployment and recovery of remotely operated towed vehicles (ROTVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
The Oryx vessels build on the naval architecture, hydrodynamics and autonomous capabilities of Exail's civil DriX platforms. The company states that they have demonstrated survivability in Sea State 7 conditions and support remote-supervised autonomous operations, flexible payload integration and military-grade cybersecurity for sovereign deployments.
Operational Experience and Production Expansion
Neptis builds on Exail's experience with its UMIS mine countermeasures system, which coordinates multiple uncrewed surface and underwater platforms, mission payloads and communications.
Exail reports more than 300,000 operational hours, over 1.5 million nautical miles navigated worldwide and more than 90 USVs sold across its DriX and Inspector product lines. These platforms have participated in international naval exercises and operations involving the U.S. Navy's Task Force 59 and 4th Fleet, NATO Task Force X and the French Navy.
To support production of Neptis and the Oryx family, Exail plans to open a new manufacturing facility in southern France to increase its USV production capacity.
The company is scheduled to present the system and vessels at the Euronaval exhibition in November 2026.
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