A Plymouth-based marine autonomy company, founded in 1986, that designs and builds crewed and uncrewed underwater vehicles, including the Royal Navy's first crewless submarine.
MSubs, also written M Subs, designs, builds and supports underwater vehicles, some with people on board and some without. Its own website says it has done this since 1986 for defence, scientific and commercial customers. Its best-known projects are Cetus, a battery-powered uncrewed submarine being built for the Royal Navy, and the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, a vessel designed to cross the ocean without a crew. Cetus is about 12 metres long and weighs about 17 tonnes, and it can be carried in a shipping container. The Ministry of Defence announced the contract in 2022 and described it as the Navy's first crewless submarine. It is designed to dive deeper than any submarine in the current Royal Navy fleet and to work alongside crewed boats.
The company describes its mission as combining engineering, manufacturing, operations and maintenance expertise to turn ambitious concepts into practical, high-performance undersea capabilities. A 2023 announcement quoted the company saying it is deeply committed to educating, training and keeping future talent in Plymouth, and wanting the city to stay a centre for marine autonomy and engineering in the UK. Its website says it has three linked sister businesses: ZeroUSV, Marine AI and Sigma Precision Engineering, which cover uncrewed surface vessels, artificial intelligence for marine systems and precision manufacturing.
The UK base is in Plymouth, Devon. The company's address is Unit 42, Sisna Park Road, Estover, Plymouth. In 2023 it announced it would expand into the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, with a new building at South Yard in Devonport to serve as an operations and maintenance centre for uncrewed marine vehicles, and an AI and autonomy research centre at Turnchapel Wharf. It also has a connection to Texas in the United States, where its sister group Submergence Group is based. Brett Phaneuf is named as managing director in the 2023 announcement. The same announcement put the workforce at about 80 people, with at least 20 more jobs expected, so treat those numbers as dated.
On people and culture, MSubs says on its own website that experienced engineers work alongside younger staff in a collaborative, exploratory environment. The Ministry of Defence's 2022 announcement said the Cetus contract would sustain about 70 jobs and create nearly ten specialist jobs in Plymouth. Those are the company's and the Government's own statements rather than independent findings.
A company that builds a submarine needs many kinds of people. There are naval architects and mechanical engineers who design the hull and systems, electrical and software engineers who build the control systems, technicians and welders who assemble and test the vehicles, and operations staff who take them to sea. The Marine AI and Sigma Precision Engineering businesses add AI and precision manufacturing roles. If you enjoy engineering, computing, physics or working with your hands, this is a place where those skills end up in real vehicles. Check the company's website for what it is currently looking for.
Website: msubs.com
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