ABS reports that it has awarded class certification to the 20-metre Saildrone Surveyor, described as the world’s largest unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
The vessel is designed for deepwater operations and can undertake fully autonomous transoceanic missions. Capabilities include deep-ocean bathymetry surveys and a range of maritime domain awareness tasks.
The Surveyor is the largest model in Saildrone’s USV fleet, following the 10-metre Voyager, which received ABS class certification in 2023 for coastal and near-shore operations. All Saildrone USVs are monitored remotely.
“The ABS class certification is more than a certificate—it’s a signal to governments and the maritime industry that Saildrone USVs are mature, safe, tested, and ready for scale,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO.
“It’s been a very large investment and a multi-year process to achieve ABS class certification, but we are proud to be the first company in the world to do so and proud that our systems have reached the highest standards as required by the ABS class certificate.”
ABS says it will continue to work with regulators and industry partners on the further development of remote-control and autonomous vessel standards.
