UK-based unmanned systems manufacturer Zero USV has made an investment in local shipyard Manor Marine to accelerate the production of Zero USV's autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).
Under the new partnership, Zero USV has become a shareholder in Manor Marine, thus providing Zero USV with guaranteed production capacity to significantly scale, and deliver at pace, its USVs from Manor Marine’s base in Portland, Dorset.
Additional manufacturing space may be added from the autumn of 2027 to support the growing newbuild pipeline.
Zero USV said this will further enhance its end-to-end domestic production capabilities, while securing long-term business for Manor Marine, advancing its objective to support state-of-the-art, UK shipbuilding projects.
Designed for "over-the-horizon" missions, Zero USV's autonomous vessels will benefit from a large payload capacity and a customisable design, thus enabling them to serve as versatile platforms for a wide range of critical maritime operations including defence.
Construction of a 17-metre scaled-up variant of Zero USV's earlier 12-metre USV is underway at Manor Marine's facilities.
