Senesco Marine to develop unmanned attack surface craft concept

American shipyard Senesco Marine has announced the development of a new class of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), the modular attack surface craft (MASC), which was first conceptualised by the US Navy. The company’s president, Ted Williams, announced the development on social media on September 3.

Williams stated that the company is partnering with “leaders” in naval architecture, autonomous systems, and high-efficiency propulsion technologies to engineer the new vessels. He added that the new platforms are being designed to be efficient to build, cost-effective to deploy, and rapid to deliver.

The modular attack surface craft are intended to operate without a crew on board, bringing new capabilities to the maritime fleet. Williams said these platforms will be able to deliver advanced weaponry to naval forces “in a timely manner”. Exact details of Senesco’s concept are yet to be disclosed.

Senesco Marine, which is based in Rhode Island, currently specializes in the construction of vessels such as tugs and ferries and ship repair works.