Submarines as UUV and special-mission motherships

Will future submarines act as motherships for smaller uncrewed submarines and recovery vehicles?

Yes, and the concept is already an evolution of existing mini-submarine and special-forces support, with AUKUS-era designs discussing larger deployment tubes and mission modules.

Submarine-launched uncrewed vehicles are an evolution of existing practice because navies already operate mini-submarines and special-forces delivery systems from larger boats. The next step is larger tubes and modular spaces for more capable UUVs, a direction already visible in discussions around AUKUS submarines and other new designs.