An Australian firm has begun conducting trials of a USV built using 3D printing technology while construction will soon commence on medium boats in the US. A Norwegian university has tapped a local supplier for a new autonomous submersible. Lastly, three Indian Navy patrol boats will undergo conversion to permit unmanned operation.
Western Australian manufacturer Hyperion Systems has completed an initial sea trial of its 3D-printed unmanned surface vehicle (USV), with the craft reaching a top speed of 40 knots during testing, the company said.
The initial trial was remotely operated and brought together the printed hull and fitted marine systems. Additional tests will validate the expected cruising speed of between 20 and 30 knots and assess payload capacity exceeding 200 kg and range of up to 200 kilometres.
In Henderson, the hull was made through large format additive manufacturing, a process that deposits material layer by layer. Hyperion said hull production takes 40 hours with this process, while traditional boatbuilding methods have lead times of four to six weeks.
The company publicly unveiled the vessel concept in May of this year.
The US Navy announced production other transaction authority (OTA) agreements for 30 medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSV) on September 29 following phase one at-sea testing.
Galliano Marine Services and HII will each build 10 vessels, with Saronic Technologies also receiving a 10-vessel order.
The navy put the average procurement cost at $40 million per vessel, with the first deliveries due before the end of fiscal 2027.
Christopher Miller, who is acting as the navy's direct reporting portfolio manager for robotic and autonomous systems, said production will begin immediately at shipyards in Louisiana.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has acquired a Kongsberg Hugin autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for ocean research and the development of subsea infrastructure monitoring systems.
The AUV will join the equipment fleet operated by the Norwegian Centre for Ocean Technology.
The AUV has a maximum operating depth of 6,000 metres and can map two to four square kilometres of seabed per hour. It can function for up to three days between recharges and is equipped with a high-resolution camera.
NTNU said the 6.18-metre vehicle weighs 1,850 to 1,980 kilograms in air and can map the seabed at a resolution of two to three centimetres.
Birdon America has started work on its first group of medium unmanned surface vehicles (MUSVs) at C&C Marine & Repair’s facilities in Belle Chasse, Louisiana.
C&C Marine will build the vessels while Mythos AI will provide autonomy. Birdon will act as prime contractor, exercise design authority, and oversee systems integration.
C&C Marine President and Owner Tony Cibilich said the yard plans to produce one vessel every two months. Birdon did not disclose the number of MUSVs in the first tranche or provide delivery dates, so the planned cadence does not establish a schedule for completing the block.
Birdon said the programme combines C&C Marine’s serial production capacity with Mythos AI’s deployed autonomy technology. An April 2026 memorandum of understanding between Birdon and Mythos AI set out their joint pursuit of MUSV opportunities, with Mythos providing software for mission functions, command and control, perception and navigation.
Accurate Industrial Controls is preparing three Indian Navy patrol boats for conversion into unmanned surface vessels (USVs) at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, following a feasibility assessment.
The work involves one 13-metre FIC used for coastal reconnaissance, along with two 23-metre ISVs. The ISVs operate in open waters alongside frigates and other larger naval vessels and have a stated range of 400 nautical miles.
The conversions are part of a six-vessel contract signed by Accurate and the Indian Navy in 2022. All six vessels are to receive the company’s Intelligent Situational Awareness and Collision Avoidance (ISACA) system.
Accurate has completed the contract’s Autonomy Stack development programme, which was divided into five audited milestones. The company also built and tested two prototype USVs before advancing to the operational patrol-boat conversions.
