The US Navy is running a program to introduce robotic ships, and now is the first ready to be put into operation. That’s what the Naval Sea Systems Command writes.

Built from aluminum

The minesweeper called “Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle” is built of aluminum. The size has not yet been specified, but it will take over the duties of today’s 68-meter Avenger-class minesweeper, as well as the MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter. That’s what New Atlas writes.

The technology itself, the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS), has undergone all the necessary tests, and in addition to navigating independently, the vessel in question can also search for various types of sea mines without human intervention, using an acoustic or magnetic minesweeper.

Pulls just over 1.8 tonnes

Despite the capacity, the craft is described as semi-autonomous by the US Navy as it can be remotely controlled from other ships or from land. On a diesel tank, the minesweeper gets 20 hours of operational time, then with a range of 140 km.

The boat has the capacity to pull just over 1.8 tons, and can then, for example, tow side-viewing or forward-looking sonar, as well as systems to neutralize mines, non-lethal weapon systems or sensors for reconnaissance/surveillance. According to Marine Link, the price tag for building an example at Bollinger Shipyards will land at just over SEK 138 million.