Vehicle News

ABS and MOBY Robotics Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance technologies supporting subsea mining and offshore mineral transport.The MoU establishes a framework for ABS to support MOBY in the development, certification and eventual classification of autonomous robotic systems and other key technologies in accordance with ABS Requirements for Subsea Mining and ABS Offshore Rules. Areas of focus include subsea and surface robotics, vertical lifting systems…

The “Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional” (BRIN), Indonesia’s national agency for research and innovation, has commissioned the French shipbuilder PIRIOU to design and build two research vessels:a multimission offshore hydro-oceanographic vessel (ORV – Ocean Going Research Vessel) and a coastal research vessel (CRV – Coastal Research Vessel).The order was signed on June 11, 2026 during a ceremony held in Indonesia, attended by representatives of BRIN, Stéphane BURGAUD, PIRIOU’s Commercial Director, and the project’s institutional partners.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have entered into an agreement with Lloyd's Register and U.S.-based REGENT Craft to jointly develop certification and operational approval processes for REGENT's fully electric Seaglider vessel, as the companies work toward commercial deployment in Japan.The initiative marks the first collaboration in Japan involving a classification society aimed at supporting the commercialization of Seaglider vessels.Seagliders are fully electric wing-in-ground effect craft that operate a few metres above the water surface using ground effect.

Fleetzero, a U.S.-based developer of marine technology, has announced a collaboration with Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, a leading U.S. shipbuilder, and Glosten, a Seattle-based global naval architecture and marine engineering firm, to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated autonomous vessel solutions for commercial maritime, government, and defense customers.The partnership brings together Fleetzero's Leviathan™ Battery Energy Storage System, propulsion technologies…

The U.S. Navy has selected HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel to advance to the at-sea testing phase of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program.Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, said: “HII is proud that ROMULUS USV has advanced to the U.S. Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel evaluation phase, a milestone that reflects HII’s longstanding track record for delivering mission-ready autonomous capabilities that support the U.S.

Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC), a provider of autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and Mystic Power boats, a leader in high-performance composite vessel construction, announced a co-production partnership to increase MARTAC’s domestic production capacity to meet growing requirements from U.S. and allied customers.MARTAC’s partnership with Mystic is the first of several pending domestic co-production partnerships the company is finalizing that will support a expansion of its co-production framework.

The U.S. Department of the Navy has selected seven companies to advance to the at-sea testing phase of its Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) marketplace initiative.The companies selected for the MUSV Family of Systems development program are Sea Machines, Leidos, Saronic Technologies, Galliano Marine Services, PacMar Technologies, Birdon, and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).The Navy said companies whose vessels successfully complete at-sea testing will receive $15 million…

Seasats today announced that a Lightfish uncrewed surface vessel (USV) has completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, a contested waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China.The vessel was deployed by Seasats from hundreds of miles away, and traversed the full length of the strait over five days while continuously monitoring surface vessel traffic. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, including a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056…

Saronic has launched its first Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV), designed to deliver dual-use autonomous capability far from shore across the full range of defense and commercial applications.Marauder is built for the kinds of sustained, long-range missions that place the greatest demands on any maritime vessel and present the greatest risks to any crew. Operating fully autonomously or under remote human supervision, Marauder is designed tooperate far from shore…

The United States, Britain and Australia are working together to develop unmanned undersea vehicles as part of their trilateral AUKUS defence pact, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday.AUKUS said in a joint statement that delivery of the vehicles will start in 2027.The program will improve the three nations' reconnaissance and strike capabilities, "and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral manoeuvre," the statement added.

Québec-based Davie and UK-based Kraken Technology Group have announced a strategic collaboration to establish Canadian production, integration and development of Kraken’s autonomous solutions.Davie will provide Canadian capacity and capability to produce, integrate and develop Kraken’s uncrewed surface vessels and autonomous maritime systems.The announcement comes as Western governments increasingly prioritise autonomous and AI-enabled maritime capabilities as part of wider efforts to strengthen sovereign industrial capacity and accelerate naval modernisation.Philip Burns-O’Brien…

Hyliion Holdings Corp., a developer of modular power plant technology, announced that the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has selected the USX-1 Defiant as a candidate test vessel for Hyliion’s KARNO technology. Initial sea trials are funded under a development program from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to advance the use of KARNO Cores for onboard power generation in U.S. Navy vessels.For the USX-1 Defiant sea trials…

U.S. autonomous vessel developer Saronic has entered a strategic partnership with Lloyd’s Register (LR) to support the safe deployment of autonomous maritime systems in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.The companies said the collaboration would focus on advancing technical standards, regulatory guidance and classification pathways for autonomous surface vessels.Saronic said it would pursue classification activities for its autonomous vessels with LR as part of the agreement.

A newly designed automatic launch and recovery system for small boats and unmanned surface drones (USVs), has been developed by Henriksen AS of Norway and will be presented for the first time at Seawork (Stand F34) in Southampton, June 9-11.The new system enables the automated launch and recovery of craft from the stern ramp of a mother vessel. The Henriksen slipway system now makes it possible for a police or military crew to board a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and be under way on the water in less than two minutes.

Hanwha Ocean and Leidos are collaborating to advance next-generation naval ship design, strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capacity, and pursue opportunities across global defense markets.Hanwha Ocean’s shipbuilding, combined with Leidos’ naval design and engineering expertise, is intended to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions aligned with evolving U.S. Navy and allied needs. The companies plan to focus on:• Adapting Hanwha ship designs for full alignment with U.S. Navy standards and requirements• Co-developing next-generation surface combatant concepts for U.S.

Saronic Technologies has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to explore collaboration on advancing AI-enabled maritime capabilities, including autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), to help address evolving security challenges in the maritime domain.NCSIST serves as Taiwan’s leading defense research and development institution and plays a central role in strengthening Taiwan’s defense industrial base.

Saildrone has announced its newest platform, Spectre. At 52 meters (170 feet) long, weighing 250 tonnes, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is a high-endurance USV designed to deliver multi-mission effects above and below the surface. Spectre’s design is engineered from the keel up for long-range, quiet, persistent operations.Spectre is Saildrone’s largest, fastest, and most capable platform to date.The US Navy is facing unprecedented challenges in maintaining maritime superiority across numerous regional hotspots simultaneously, says the company.

Sofar Ocean, a leading ocean intelligence platform, launched Spotter Scout, a rugged, solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) built by Online Oceans, a UK-based marine robotics company, that enables persistent ocean sensing in remote and deep water locations—no moorings, crew, or depth limits.Remote ocean monitoring is typically expensive and complex. Traditional mooring systems are hard to deploy, maintain, and relocate, and often cost more than the sensors they support. This makes them difficult to justify for shorter-term deployments.Spotter Scout removes these constraints.

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has introduced AutoHook, a first-of-its-kind fully autonomous vessel recovery interface developed by FMD’s Norway-based business, Vestdavit. AutoHook is designed for fully autonomous launch and recovery systems (LARS) supporting unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and other assets requiring zero human intervention. The compact, lightweight form factor is designed for interoperability across allied fleets in demanding maritime conditions, removing the…

The Spanish shipyard C.N.P. FREIRE, S.A. (Freire Shipyard) held the launch ceremony of the diving support vessel, hull number 739, built for the Armada Logistics Support Command: A22 Proserpina in Vigo. Delivery is scheduled for later this year.The ceremony was presided over by the shipyard's General Managers, Marcos and Guillermo Freire, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Armada (AJEMA), His Excellency Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez. Also in attendance were civil and military authorities.

For centuries, shipowners have fought a persistent enemy beneath the waterline: biofouling. Barnacles, algae, slime and other marine organisms attach themselves to hull surfaces, increasing hydrodynamic drag and reducing vessel efficiency. Traditionally, the fight against fouling relied on antifouling coatings, diver cleaning teams, and periodic drydock maintenance. But in the last decade, a new class of underwater robotics has begun to change that equation.Robotic hull-cleaning systems…

Magnet Defense today announced beginning production of its first deliverable M48 unmanned surface vessel (USV), marking a pivotal milestone as the M48 transitions from an operationally validated prototype program to a production platform.The M48 offers a range of up to 17,000 nautical miles and the ability to self-deploy from San Diego to the Arabian Gulf, unassisted and without refueling. This performance is best-in-class and a significant differentiator amongst competitors in terms of combined range…

Cellula Robotics USA Inc. has announced its role in delivering a long-endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) under a contract awarded by the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) initiative. Under the contract led by Metron Inc., Cellula Robotics USA Inc. will be responsible for delivery of a commercial off-the-shelf, fuel cell-powered Guardian AUV. The vehicle is designed for long endurance missions, with the ability to…