Unmanned surface vehicle

The regulatory environment for USV operations is changing rapidly as the technology develops and is more frequently deployed on commercial projects. The Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice 2020 (V4)[8] has been prepared by the UK Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group (MASRWG) and published by Maritime UK through the Society of Maritime Industries. Organisations that contributed to the development of the MASS Code of Practice include The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), Atlas Elektronik UK Ltd, AutoNaut, Fugro, the UK Chamber of Shipping, UKHO, Trinity House, Nautical Institute, National Oceanography Centre, Dynautics Limited, SEA-KIT International, Sagar Defence Engineering and many more.

In July 2021, SEA-KIT International became the first USV designer and builder to receive Unmanned Marine Systems (UMS) certification from Lloyd's Register for its 12m X-class USV design. USV Maxlimer is SEA-KIT's proof of concept X-class vessel, based at their headquarters in Tollesbury, Essex.

By end of 2017, Sagar Defence Engineering became the first company in India to built and supply USV to Government organization.

As early as the end of World War II, remote-controlled USVs were used in minesweeping applications.[9] Since then, advances in USV control systems and navigation technologies have resulted in USVs that an operator can control remotely (from land or from a nearby vessel):[10] USVs that operate with partially autonomous control, and USVs (ASVs) that operate fully autonomously.[9] Modern applications and research areas for USVs and ASVs include commercial shipping,[11] environmental and climate monitoring, seafloor mapping,[11][12] passenger ferries,[13] robotic research,[14] surveillance, inspection of bridges and other infrastructure,[15] military, and naval operations.[9]

The design and build of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) is complex and challenging. Hundreds of decisions relating to mission goals, payload requirements, power budget, hull design, communication systems and propulsion control and management need to be analysed and implemented. Crewed vessel builders often rely on single-source suppliers for propulsion and instrumentation to help the crew control the vessel. In the case of an uncrewed (or partially crewed) vessel, the builder needs to replace elements of the human interface with a remote human interface.

USV used in oceanographic research, June 2011

USVs are valuable in oceanography, as they are more capable than moored or drifting weather buoys, but far cheaper than the equivalent weather ships and research vessels,[19] and more flexible than commercial-ship contributions. Wave gliders, in particular, harness wave energy for primary propulsion[20] and, with solar cells to power their electronics, have months of marine persistence[21] for both academic[22][23] and naval applications.[24][25]

Powered USVs are a powerful tool for use in hydrographic survey.[14] Using a small USV in parallel to traditional survey vessels as a 'force-multiplier' can double survey coverage and reduce time on-site. This method was used for a survey carried out in the Bering Sea, off Alaska; the ASV Global 'C-Worker 5' autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) collected 2,275 nautical miles of survey, 44% of the project total. This was a first for the survey industry and resulted in a saving of 25 days at sea.[26] In 2020, the British USV Maxlimer completed an unmanned survey of 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) of seafloor in the Atlantic Ocean west of the English Channel.[27]

Computer-generated image of a MMCM (Maritime Mine Counter Measures) minesweeping drone.

Military applications for USVs include powered seaborne targets and minehunting.[28] In 2016 DARPA launched an anti-submarine USV prototype called Sea Hunter. Turkish firm Aselsan produced USVs for Turkish Navy; ALBATROS-T and ALBATROS-K High-Speed Unmanned Surface Target Boats are used by Turkish Naval Forces.[29][30] Turkey also developed the first indigenous armed unmanned surface vessel (AUSV) called ULAQ (AUSV).[31] Developed by Ares Shipyard, Meteksan Defence Systems and Roketsan. ULAQ (AUSV) is armed with 4x Roketsan Cirit and 2x UMTAS. It completed its first firing test successfully on 27 May 2021.[32] The ULAQ can be deployed from combat ships. It can be controlled remotely from mobile vehicles, headquarters, command centers and floating platforms. It will serve in missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence, surface warfare, asymmetric warfare, armed escort, force protection, and strategic facility security. Ares Shipyard's CEO says much more different versions of ULAQ equipped with different weapons are under development.[33] Its primary user will be Turkish Naval Forces.

In addition, military applications for medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) include fleet intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (EW). In August 2020, L3Harris Technologies was awarded a contract to build an MUSV prototype, with options for up to nine vessels. L3Harris subcontracted Swiftships, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder, to build the vessels, with displacement of about 500 tons.[34] The prototype is targeted for completion by end of 2022. It is the first unmanned naval platform programme in this class of ships, which will likely play a major role in supporting the Distributed Maritime Operations[35] strategy of the U.S. Navy. Earlier, Swiftships partnered with University of Louisiana in 2014 to build the Anaconda (AN-1) and later the Anaconda (AN-2) class of small USVs.[36]

On 13 April 2022, the US sent unspecified unmanned coastal defense vessels to Ukraine amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of a new security package.[37]

In the future, many unmanned cargo ships are expected to cross the waters.[38] In November 2021, the first autonomous cargo ship, MV Yara Birkeland was launched in Norway. The fully electric ship is expected to substantially reduce the need for truck journeys.[39]

In 2021, the world's first urban autonomous vessels, Roboats, are deployed in the canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The ships developed by three institutions could carry up to five people, collect waste, deliver goods, monitor the environment and provide "on-demand infrastructure".[40][41]

Unmanned surface vehicles can also assist in seaweed farming and help to reduce operating costs.[42][43]

A saildrone in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, after the 2019 NOAA Arctic missions

A saildrone is a type of unmanned surface vehicle used primarily in oceans for data collection.[44] Saildrones are wind and solar powered and carry a suite of science sensors and navigational instruments. They can follow a set of remotely prescribed waypoints.[45] The saildrone was invented by Richard Jenkins, a British engineer,[46] founder and CEO of Saildrone, Inc. Saildrones have been used by scientists and research organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to survey the marine ecosystem, fisheries, and weather.[47][48] In January 2019, a small fleet of saildrones was launched to attempt the first autonomous circumnavigation of Antarctica.[49] One of the saildrones completed the mission, traveling 12,500 miles (20,100 km) over the seven month journey while collecting a detailed data set using on board environmental monitoring instrumentation.[50]

In August 2019, SD 1021 completed the fastest unmanned Atlantic crossing sailing from Bermuda to the UK,[51] and in October, it completed the return trip to become the first autonomous vehicle to cross the Atlantic in both directions.[52] The University of Washington and the Saildrone company began a joint venture in 2019 called The Saildrone Pacific Sentinel Experiment, which positioned six saildrones along the west coast of the United States to gather atmospheric and ocean data.[53][54]

Saildrone and NOAA deployed five modified hurricane-class vessels at key locations in the Atlantic Ocean prior to the June start of the 2021 hurricane season. In September, SD 1045 was in location to obtain video and data from inside Hurricane Sam. It was the first research vessel to ever venture into the middle of a major hurricane.[55][56]

• Self-steering gear
• Spartan Scout
• Swarm robotics
• USV RSV (Marine Tech)
• ULAQ (AUSV)