The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) demonstration vessel, the Defiant, was unveiled at a ceremony at Everett Ship Repair in Everett, Washington.
The 180-foot-long, 240-metric-ton vessel features a streamlined hull for rapid production and maintenance in facilities that typically service yachts, tugboats and similar vessels. Final systems testing is underway ahead of extensive open-sea trials to assess reliability and endurance.
“The Defiant is a small, rugged vessel that demonstrates that we can build a vessel that can operate in the demanding environment of the open ocean without humans operating it,” said NOMARS Program Manager Greg Avicola. He said it can operate in Sea State 5 without loss of performance, survive rougher seas and resume missions once storms have passed.
Following sea trials, Defiant will be transferred to the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406). DARPA and the Navy are charting a path for rapid integration of NOMARS technologies into future fleets, including allied maritime operations.
Congress appropriated $2.1 billion in July for the development, procurement, and integration of mid-sized unmanned surface vessels. Defiant will be the U.S. Navy’s first fully autonomous – not hybrid – unmanned surface vessel.
