Unmanned Surface Vehicles Market by type (Autonomous Surface Vehicles, Remotely Operated Surface Vehicles, Application (Defense, Commercial), System, Cruising Speed, Hull Type, Endurance, Size and Region - Forecast to 2027

Unmanned Surface Vehicles Market by type (Autonomous Surface Vehicles, Remotely Operated Surface Vehicles, Application (Defense, Commercial), System, Cruising Speed, Hull Type, Endurance, Size and Region - Forecast to 2027

The unmanned surface vehicles market is estimated to be USD 0.7 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1.2 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2022 to 2027. Growth of this market can be attributed to the rise in military applications like combat support, ISR, mine countermeasure, etc., and commercial applications like Inspection & hydrographic surveying.

Reconnaissance, survey, and rescue

Many countries have increased their investments in the maritime sector in recent years, resulting in significant improvements in ship automation. The unmanned surface vehicle (USV) has become the new favorite in the field of surveillance, survey, and rescue. When completing activities, the USV is usually carried by the mother ship, which presents significant obstacles to the launch and recovery of the USV in a hostile maritime environment. When the USV is far from the floating bracket, it uses GPS navigation to find its way back. Because the distance is short, the floating bracket may use the reassignment to control the direction.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning to give the vessel autonomy

Autonomous cargo ships, also known as autonomous container ships or maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), are crewless boats that move containers or bulk freight with little or no human interaction through navigable seas. An onshore control center can monitor and direct the vessels remotely from a nearby human ship, or artificial intelligence and machine learning can all be employed to give the vessel autonomy. As of 2019, many autonomous cargo ship projects were in the works, the most notable of which was the building of the MV Yara Birkeland, which was set to begin testing and operations in 2019.

“Payload: The largest segment of the unmanned surface vehicles market, by system”

The payload segment includes cameras, sensors, SONAR, X-band marine radars, visual systems, LiDAR, echo sounders, and others.

Cameras are a cost-effective payload for all unmanned systems. The market for cameras is mature as compared to other payloads and has significant opportunities for more advanced technological developments in the near future.

Unmanned surface vehicles use sensors to map their operating environment and detect objects causing interference. Sensors are also used to examine undersea cables and detect and classify a wide variety of chemicals in seawater.

SONAR includes a number of acoustic pings to form an image with higher resolution. SONAR can be integrated with the INS and motion sensing platform of the USV and uses modern signal processing, such as Displaced Phase Centre Analysis (DPCA), to process raw data into images.

“500-1,000 Hours: largest segment of the unmanned surface vehicles market, by endurance “

USVs with an endurance range of 500–1,000 hours are mostly used for oilfield services, such as locating energy sources, energy data management, drilling, formation evaluation, well construction, and production and completion.

“North America: The largest contributing region in the unmanned surface vehicles market.”

Study coverage for North America region includes the analysis of US and Canada.

The US significantly invests in defense-related activities and uses USVs for applications such as anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasure, and surveillance. The increasing offshore activities, such as mine hunting, are expected to boost the adoption of USVs in the US in the coming years. In the 2022 US budget, USD 20.6 billion was requested for all maritime vehicles, including unmanned ones. USVs also garner significant demand from the oil & gas industry. According to the US Energy Information Administration, US crude oil production increased by 16% in 2022, setting a new record of nearly 11.6 million barrels per day.

In Canada, the Arctic Ocean watershed extends to 3.5 million km square, the Atlantic Ocean watershed spreads over all of Eastern Canada and covers an area of 1.6 million km square, and the Pacific Ocean watershed drains an area slightly greater than 1 million km2. Considering this fact, in June 2015, the Government of Canada established a new federal research organization—Polar Knowledge Canada—that combines the functions of the Canadian Polar Commission and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station program developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. This organization is responsible for advancing Canada’s knowledge of the Arctic Ocean and strengthening Canadian leadership in polar science and technology.

Breakdown of primaries

The study contains insights from various industry experts, ranging from component suppliers to Tier 1 companies and OEMs. The break-up of the primaries is as follows:

By Company Type: Tier 1–35%; Tier 2–45%; and Tier 3–20%

By Designation: C Level–35%; Directors–25%; and Others–40%

By Region: North America–25%; Europe–15%; Asia Pacific–45%; Middle East– 10%; and Rest of the World –5%

L3Harris Technologies (US), Kongsberg Maritime (Norway), Textron Inc. (US), ECA Group (France), Saan AB (Sweden), and Fugro (Netherlands) are the key players in the unmanned surface vehicles market.

Research Coverage

The study covers the unmanned surface vehicles market across various segments and subsegments. It aims at estimating the size and growth potential of this market across different segments based on Application, Mobility, Size, Mode of Operation, System, and region. This study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to their product and business offerings, recent developments undertaken by them, and key market strategies adopted by them.

Reasons to Buy this Report

This report is expected to help market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall unmanned surface vehicles market and its segments. This study is also expected to provide region wise information about the end use, and wherein unmanned surface vehicles are used. This report aims at helping the stakeholders understand the competitive landscape of the market, gain insights to improve the position of their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. This report is also expected to help them understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities influencing the growth of the market.