The British Navy today unveiled a unique testbed ship designed for testing the latest technologies and autonomous systems.

The 42m vessel arrived in Portsmouth and is named after former Royal Navy sailor and Nobel Prize winner Patrick Blackett.

The ship will be used by the navy’s experimentation and innovation experts NavyX who have been testing new technology.

Thanks to the addition of the XV – Experimental Vessel – Patrick Blackett, NavyX will be able to carry out more trials at sea to enhance the Fleet’s operations and ensure the UK stays at the leading edge of naval warfare.

Colonel Tom Ryall, Head of NavyX, said: “The arrival of this vessel is a pivotal moment for NavyX’s ability to deliver output for the Royal Navy.”

Special requirements were placed on the size of the vessel – the displacement should not exceed 500 (metric) tons and the length should not be less than 158 feet.

Damen Shipyards, in the Netherlands, won the contract for the testbed ship.

According to reports from the British Ministry of Defense, the total purchase price of the ship (excluding VAT) was £9,333,151 or $11,350,325.

The ship can reach speeds of 20 knots and has been modified to support NavyX operations.

In the future, XV Patrick Blackett will take part in Royal Navy and NATO exercises, with the possibility of it being upgraded with autonomous technology.

The XV will have a “plug and play” element to support the navy’s new PODS (Persistently Operationally Deployed Systems) concept which aims to standardize and simplify the way different capabilities are deployed.

This means that the vessel can be adapted for testing drones and autonomous vessels.