Focus on Unmanned Craft

This month's focus on unmanned craft includes reviews of both remotely operated vessels and those capable of autonomous operations. USVs include those for long-range survey and research missions while new ROVs will support exploration and offshore maintenance activities.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles • Unmanned Underwater Vehicles • Remotely Operated Vehicles

One autonomous craft featured is a new vessel currently undergoing trials prior to fully entering operational use with the Royal Australian Navy. This craft utilises a proven design that has already undergone rigorous testing in the United States, and the Australian military is now studying its other possible applications.

Vessel Reviews:

• USV Inanibus – UK-designed unmanned vessel to conduct windfarm site surveys
  
• Aurora – Versatile, deep-diving ROV for Norwegian research non-profit
• VESSEL REFIT | USV Dart – UK's South Devon College to utilise drone for maritime training purposes
  
• Argus – Versatile hybrid survey and inspection USV for Norway's Argeo
• Royal Australian Navy debuts fast autonomous boat
• Work-class ROVs to perform oilfield support duties in Brazil

News and Gear:

• ABS, SpaceX to jointly develop autonomous ships for rocket recovery
• Norwegian companies form two new unmanned vessel joint ventures
• Marine projects joint venture formed in Abu Dhabi
• New Turkish-built armed USV hits the water
• UK's Plymouth Marine Laboratory to develop long-range autonomous research vessel
• Australian-Canadian partnership to introduce new series of unmanned naval vehicles
• New Chinese large autonomous research ship hits the water

Recent Important Features:

COLUMN | Sailing towards the self-wrecking ship [Grey Power]

– "Amid all this digital progress, the promoters invariably live in a perfect world of unreality, where voyages progress smoothly and nothing ever goes wrong."

– by Michael Grey, regular Baird Maritime contributor and former long-term editor of Lloyd's List

Call for content!

Any news or views about the unmanned vessel industries? Send it through to editor@bairdmaritime.com ASAP (between now and June 24), so we can add it to this current edition of Unmanned Craft Week!

We are after:

• Vessels – Orders, new deliveries, under construction
• Gear – Latest innovations and technology in the unmanned vessel sector
• Interviews – Owners, operators, research organisations, etc.
• Reminiscences – Do you have any exciting, amusing or downright dangerous anecdotes from your time in the unmanned vessel world? (example here)
• Other – Any other relevant news