The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) demonstration vessel, the Defiant, was unveiled at a ceremony at Everett Ship Repair in Everett, Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following sea trials, Defiant will be transferred to the U.S. Navy\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s first fully autonomous \u2013 not hybrid \u2013 unmanned surface vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n