From Concept to Floating Prototype
SeaRush is an innovative defense project developed in collaboration with the innovation center MIND. The project focuses on the rapid development, deployment, and iterative improvement of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). Within the Dutch military-maritime ecosystem, MARIN contributes to the transition of the Royal Netherlands Navy towards a combined fleet of crewed and uncrewed maritime systems.
By leveraging existing production infrastructure in the Netherlands, flexible material and component choices, and production methods such as 3D printing technology, SeaRush strengthens the innovation capacity of the Ministry of Defence and its partners, particularly in times of conflict. The project connects knowledge development, prototyping, operational testing, and validation of uncrewed systems with the development of an ecosystem for the scalable production of affordable USVs. The platform also supports applications in which uncrewed vessels operate in conjunction with other systems, such as drones, with a view to demonstrations during national and international exercises.
Production Chain Collaboration
The development of the experimental USV was realized through close collaboration with multiple partners. IMPACD Boats from Woudsend translated the conceptual design into a 3D-printable design and, in collaboration with CEAD, prepared the printing process. At the Dutch Boat Factory in Delft, the hull was subsequently printed in less than a week. The outfitting of the printed hull into a fully operational USV took place in Woudsend. Propulsion is provided by a Honda outboard engine, which, thanks to its interface with the control system of Italian supplier UltraFlex, can also be operated externally.
Increasingly Important
The demand for such systems is growing rapidly. International conflicts are intensifying, the economic and strategic importance of the North Sea is increasing, and the Royal Netherlands Navy does not expect to be able to expand its personnel numbers in the coming years due to labor market constraints. As a result, the Navy is developing new operational concepts in which uncrewed vessels play a key role alongside crewed units. Scalable and effective cooperation between the two is essential.
From Simulation to Sea
A key challenge lies in the integrated control of uncrewed systems, both individually and in large numbers. Within the KNOWONE research program, teams are investigating how multiple small and large USVs can cooperate with crewed units in maritime operations without the need for additional operators. To this end, software applications have been developed that enable USVs to operate in formations with a crewed vessel.
Over the past year, multiple operational concepts have been evaluated with Defense personnel in their Dolphin simulation environment. The next step is to demonstrate these concepts on board multiple experimental USVs. To enable a one-to-one transfer of software applications from the simulation environment to experimental USVs, MARIN is working together with EagleScience to develop a software architecture that simplifies the integration of software and hardware on board.
Looking Ahead
In June, the SeaRush and KNOWONE projects will come together during the Maritime Uncrewed Sea Trials (MUST) 2026 exercise. Defense has asked MARIN to demonstrate the cooperative concepts developed within KNOWONE at sea, using several experimental USVs based on SeaRush.
