Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market by Type (Autonomous Surface Vehicle, Remotely Operated Surface Vehicle), System (Chassis Material, Communication, Component), Endurance, Hull Type, Cruising Speed, Size, Application - Global Forecast 2024-2030

Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market by Type (Autonomous Surface Vehicle, Remotely Operated Surface Vehicle), System (Chassis Material, Communication, Component), Endurance, Hull Type, Cruising Speed, Size, Application - Global Forecast 2024-2030

The Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market size was estimated at USD 43.98 billion in 2023 and expected to reach USD 50.30 billion in 2024, at a CAGR 15.26% to reach USD 118.93 billion by 2030.

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are also known as autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) that can operate on water surfaces without any human onboard operators and can be used to explore places where the climatic condition is rough. USVs are less costly than fully manned vessels and are primarily used for a wide range of marine applications. The increasing use of unmanned surface vehicles for environmental monitoring and its upsurging demand for inspection and hydrographic surveys are major factors driving the market growth for the past decade. In addition, the market growth is attributed to rapidly rising investments from leading manufacturers and governments worldwide in unmanned surface vehicles to reduce maritime security threats for the last couple of years. However, low-cost autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles and operational issues associated with USVs restrain the potential market growth. In line with this, key manufacturers are constantly focusing on advancements and innovations in USV designs by forming strategic alliances for the collaborative development of efficient unmanned surface vehicles, which is expected to create further scope for market growth in the coming years.

Regional Insights

In the Americas region, USVs are increasingly being adopted for military, environmental monitoring, and survey operations. The U.S. leads in innovation and deployment, driven by heavy investments from the Department of Defense and the private sector. Customers in the defense segment prioritize cutting-edge technology and system interoperability, demonstrating purchasing behavior that favors advanced multi-mission USVs. Canada focuses on employing USVs for environmental research and maritime surveillance in its vast coastlines and Arctic territories. Canadian customers place a high value on durable and ice-capable platforms for long-duration missions in harsh environments. Further, the Asia Pacific region shows significant USV market growth due to increasing maritime activity and rising defense budgets, especially in China, Japan, and India. China is a leading innovator in USV technology, with substantial state-funded research and development. Chinese firms and institutions regularly file patents to enhance navigational software and propulsion technologies to bolster civil and military capabilities.

The EMEA region exhibits diverse needs for USVs, with an overarching emphasis on maritime safety, environmental protection, and sustainable use of ocean resources. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has initiated various projects that involve USVs for pollution monitoring and law enforcement. EU funding often subsidizes R&D initiatives by European consortiums, indicating a market trend towards collaborative innovation. In the Middle East, the emphasis is on maritime security and the protection of critical infrastructure due to geopolitical tensions. Nations such as the United Arab Emirates are investing in USVs for surveillance and protection of their coastlines, oil rigs, and ports.

Market Insights

Market Dynamics

The market dynamics represent an ever-changing landscape of the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market by providing actionable insights into factors, including supply and demand levels. Accounting for these factors helps design strategies, make investments, and formulate developments to capitalize on future opportunities. In addition, these factors assist in avoiding potential pitfalls related to political, geographical, technical, social, and economic conditions, highlighting consumer behaviors and influencing manufacturing costs and purchasing decisions.

Market Drivers

• Growing demand of unmanned surface vehicles for inspection and hydrographic survey
• Increasing use of unmanned surface vehicles for environmental monitoring
• Rapidly rising investments in unmanned surface vehicles to reduce maritime security threats

Market Restraints

• Operational issues associated with unmanned surface vehicles

Market Opportunities

• Emerging advancements and innovations in unmanned surface vehicle designs
• Ongoing strategic alliances among manufacturers of unmanned surface vehicles

Market Challenges

• Presence of low cost autonomous underwater vehicle and remotely operated underwater vehicle

Market Segmentation Analysis

• Type: Significant development of autonomous surface vehicles for seafloor mapping
• Endurance: Use of 500–1,000 Hours for longer-term operations
• Hull Type: Adoption of twin and triple hulls for enhanced performance
• Cruising Speed: Integration of 10-30 Knots and less than 10 knots in unmanned surface vehicl

Market Disruption Analysis

• Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
• Value Chain & Critical Path Analysis
• Pricing Analysis
• Technology Analysis
• Patent Analysis
• Trade Analysis
• Regulatory Framework Analysis

FPNV Positioning Matrix

The FPNV positioning matrix is essential in evaluating the market positioning of the vendors in the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market. This matrix offers a comprehensive assessment of vendors, examining critical metrics related to business strategy and product satisfaction. This in-depth assessment empowers users to make well-informed decisions aligned with their requirements. Based on the evaluation, the vendors are then categorized into four distinct quadrants representing varying levels of success, namely Forefront (F), Pathfinder (P), Niche (N), or Vital (V).

Market Share Analysis

The market share analysis is a comprehensive tool that provides an insightful and in-depth assessment of the current state of vendors in the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market. By meticulously comparing and analyzing vendor contributions, companies are offered a greater understanding of their performance and the challenges they face when competing for market share. These contributions include overall revenue, customer base, and other vital metrics. Additionally, this analysis provides valuable insights into the competitive nature of the sector, including factors such as accumulation, fragmentation dominance, and amalgamation traits observed over the base year period studied. With these illustrative details, vendors can make more informed decisions and devise effective strategies to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Recent Developments

EIVA Launches New Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle

EIVA, a provider of navigation and positioning solutions for the marine industry, launched a new remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV). This vehicle is designed to help operators in the oil and gas, renewable energy, and hydrographic fields access hard-to-reach areas, offering advanced maneuvering capabilities and subsea surveying tools to capture high-resolution images and sensor data. The ROTV exemplifies how EIVA's innovative technology can help organizations increase safety, efficiency, and cost savings on their underwater operations.

Austal and Saildrone Join Forces on Uncrewed Surface Vehicles

Austal and Saildrone have teamed up to bring their expertise in uncrewed surface vehicles to the forefront. Together, they are collaborating on developing solutions that can help collect and process high-quality ocean data, which is essential for better understanding our global climate. Their combined resources ensure this technology can reach its full potential and provide valuable insight into the planet's health.

Van Oord Enters Partnership for Uncrewed Remote Operations

Van Oord, a Dutch-based marine contractor, announced a new partnership with specialist maritime data company Autonomous Control Systems International (ACSI). Through this collaboration, the companies aim to develop and deploy an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) for offshore operations. This USV can perform remote and autonomous operations in hazardous environments with reduced risk and increased efficiency. The innovative technology has been designed to enable efficient data acquisition during survey missions, offering safety benefits such as reduced crew exposure to dangerous working conditions. This strategic alliance is set to bring about exciting advances within the offshore industry and offers great potential for further exploration of unmanned operations at sea.

Strategy Analysis & Recommendation

The strategic analysis is essential for organizations seeking a solid foothold in the global marketplace. Companies are better positioned to make informed decisions that align with their long-term aspirations by thoroughly evaluating their current standing in the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market. This critical assessment involves a thorough analysis of the organization’s resources, capabilities, and overall performance to identify its core strengths and areas for improvement.

Key Company Profiles

The report delves into recent significant developments in the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market, highlighting leading vendors and their innovative profiles. These include 5G International Inc., ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, BlueZone Group, Clearpath Robotics Inc., Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc., ECA Group, Elbit Systems Ltd., Fugro, Israel Aerospace Industries, iXblue SAS, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Marine Advanced Robotics, Inc., Maritime Robotics AS, Ocean Aero, OceanAlpha, Ocius, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Saab AB, Sagar Defence Engineering, Saildrone Inc., Seafloor Systems Inc., SeaRobotics Corp., Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, SIREHNA - Naval Group, Sonardyne International Ltd., Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Textron Systems Corporation, Thales Group, The Boeing Company, The QinetiQ Group, Unmanned Teknologies Applications S.L., and Xylem.

Market Segmentation & Coverage

This research report categorizes the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market to forecast the revenues and analyze trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Type

• Autonomous Surface Vehicle
• Remotely Operated Surface Vehicle
• System
• Chassis Material
• Aluminum
• Carbon Fiber
• Fiberglass
• Thermoplastic
• Communication
• Radio
• Satellite
• UHF/VHF
• Wi-Fi
• Component
• Hardware
• Motor
• Navigation, Guidance, & Control (NGC) System
• Software
• Propulsion
• Diesel/gasoline Engine
• Electric
• Hybrid
• Renewable
• Endurance
• 100–500 Hours
• 500–1,000 Hours
• <100 Hours
• >1,000 Hours
• Hull Type
  • Rigid Inflatable
  • Single
  • Triple
  • Twin
  • Cruising Speed
  • 10-30 Knots
  • Less Than 10 Knots
  • More Than 30 Knots
  • Size
  • Extra Large >14 Meters
  • Large 7-14 Meters
  • Medium 3-7 Meters
  • Small<3 Meters
  Application
  • Commercial
  • Environment Monitoring
  • Infrastructure Inspection
  • Search & Rescue
  • Security
  • Weather Monitoring
  • Defense
  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
  • Communication
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Firefighting
  • Hydrographic Survey
  • Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR)
  • Mine Countermeasure
  • Naval Warfare

Region

• Americas
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• Mexico
• United States
• California
• Florida
• Illinois
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Asia-Pacific
• Australia
• China
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Europe, Middle East & Africa
• Denmark
• Egypt
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Israel
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Poland
• Qatar
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom

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