The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) christened the USX-1 Defiant, its first fully autonomous surface vessel, in a ceremony at Everett Ship Repair in Washington.
Developed under DARPA’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program, the 180-foot, 240-metric-ton vessel is designed for extended autonomous operations. It can reach speeds of 20 knots, withstand 30-foot waves, and remain at sea for up to a year.
DARPA announced the completion of the $25 million vessel, built by Serco, last March.
“Defiant is a tough little ship and defies the idea that we cannot make a ship that can operate in the challenging environment of the open ocean without people to operate her,” said NOMARS Program Manager Greg Avicola, during the ceremony held Monday.
“While relatively small, Defiant is designed for extended voyages in the open ocean, can handle operations in sea state 5 with no degradation and survive much higher seas, continuing operations once the storm passes,” he added.
In a news release, DARPA said it is working closely with the Navy to ensure that the capabilities and technologies demonstrated under the NOMARS program are scalable and supportive of international defense partnerships.
DARPA said Defiant is still “completing final systems testing in preparation for an extended at-sea demonstration of reliability and endurance.”
After the demonstration, the vessel will be transferred to the Navy’s Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office, where it will become the Navy’s first fully autonomous medium unmanned surface vessel, according to DARPA.
