US Navy veterans to develop 100-ton robot warship with thousands-of-mile range
The company aims to develop a mission-ready platform for strategic operations in contested maritime environments.
To improve the US Navy’s autonomous capabilities, Boston-based maritime technology startup Blue Water Autonomy has announced the development of a captainless and crewless vessel.
Founded less than a year ago by former US Navy officers and ex-tech executives, the company plans to develop a 100-foot autonomous vessel with thousands of nautical miles range.
The company aims to develop a mission-ready platform for strategic operations in contested maritime environments.
US Navy autonomous vessel
According to the company, its new unmanned surface vessel (USV) capability could have a 100-ton displacement platform engineered for long-endurance, autonomous deployment.
The vessel is envisaged to be multi-role, capable of transporting logistics payloads, conducting ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions, or supporting naval munitions delivery without human oversight.
The US has been working towards the development of such USVs for a long. Recently, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed the development of a prototype USV called the USX-1 Defiant.
The USV, measuring 180 feet and weighing 240 metric tons, is currently undergoing testing in dockside environments and on the open ocean.