Royal Navy tests sovereign AI at sea on flagship ship
The Royal Navy has equipped its fleet flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, with portable Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) hardware to run Saga, a sovereign AI product developed by Whitespace. This deployment took place during Operation HIGHMAST.
By utilising Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Roving Edge Infrastructure, the Royal Navy ensures that advanced AI capabilities remain operational even when the vessel is in remote or disconnected environments. This shift allows HMS Prince of Wales to process critical data on board, eliminating the need to relay information back to shore-based systems and significantly enhancing operational autonomy.
The announcement links the deployment to national security requirements. It also points to the increasing interest in on-site AI processing for defence platforms that operate with limited connectivity.
"Leveraging modern AI solutions across the entire operations of the Royal Navy is critical to the UK's defensive capabilities," said First Sea Lord, Sir Gwyn Jenkins. "To ensure the HMS Prince of Wales can succeed in its mission, the Royal Navy has deployed a solution that leverages the benefits of sovereign AI securely, without compromising operational control or efficiencies, no matter where it is in the world."
Edge hardware
Oracle described OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure as a portable server that provides cloud computing and storage services at the edge of networks and in disconnected locations.
The company said the system has been built for remote and challenging environments. Oracle also said it sits in a ruggedised case that provides electromagnetic protection and limits emanations and interference.
Oracle positioned the deployment as part of a wider need for the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces to keep sensitive data under national control while still using AI tools in operational settings.
"The Royal Navy, and more widely the Ministry of Defence, needs to store and run their sovereign data in environments that are highly secure while maintaining operational control," said Jason Rees, Senior Vice President, Technology Engineering EMEA, Oracle. "The mission is at the edge. By using OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure, the Royal Navy can seamlessly and securely develop, deploy, and maintain sovereign AI capabilities for the Fleet Flagship anytime, anywhere."
Sovereign AI
Whitespace is part of the Oracle Defence Ecosystem. The company described itself as a UK sovereign AI supplier behind Collective, which it calls a modular AI operating system designed for high-risk environments.
Whitespace said Saga sits within Collective. It has an app-like interface. Whitespace said it allows Royal Navy personnel to capture lessons, review mission data, and access tailored AI support in one environment.
The deployment also highlights demand for local processing for defence use cases. Shipboard AI can run closer to the source of sensor and mission data. It avoids dependence on high-bandwidth connectivity and reduces the need to move sensitive information off the platform.
"Deploying Saga on OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure shows what is now possible when sovereign AI is paired with resilient cloud-at-the-edge technology," said Andrew Webber, Chief Partnerships Officer at Whitespace. "The Royal Navy needs capabilities that work anywhere, under any conditions, and this collaboration delivers exactly that. Together with Oracle, we are proving that the UK can field trusted, secure AI in live operational environments today."
The companies did not disclose financial terms for the deployment. They also did not set out how widely the Royal Navy plans to roll out the system across other ships and units.
The Royal Navy and its suppliers have increased work on AI tools for operational learning and decision support. The companies framed this deployment around running such tools in challenging environments while keeping operational control of data on the vessel.
Oracle said its Roving Edge Infrastructure is designed for locations with limited connectivity. The companies said HMS Prince of Wales will use the onboard setup as it continues operations where it may have to rely on shipboard compute and storage.