In 2025, there is significant opportunity to grow the United States’ leadership in maritime technologies and facilitate the growth of UMS across the government, transportation, and commercial sectors.
Our collective goal must be to ensure that the US remains at the forefront of uncrewed maritime technologies and that the demand signal is clear for private capital to invest in building the maritime industrial base necessary for the 21st Century.
AUVSI has identified opportunities for these goals to be achieved by supporting: (1) the removal of burdensome regulations, (2) investments in the US Navy (USN) and US Coast Guard (USCG), and (3) rapid fielding of emerging technologies.
REGULATIONS DEMAND CHANGE
First, regulatory frameworks must be updated. The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) currently prevents the export of some autonomous vessel technologies which are designed to comply with the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs). COL- REGs are critical international standards for safe maritime navigation, but ITAR classifies certain autonomy capabilities as dual-use, thereby restricting their export.
This creates challenges for the US maritime industry, as autonomous vessels often operate across international waters and require interoperability with global systems to maintain safety and legal compliance. ITAR restrictions hinder US companies from deploying and exporting technologies, global competitiveness in the autonomous maritime sector. To address this, regulatory frameworks must be adaptable and pro- vide balance between safety, innovation, and security.
MORE FUNDING NEEDED
Second, the USN and USCG have begun to integrate UMS into their fleets to conduct critical missions like ISR, deterrence, and search and rescue. AUVSI is advocating for a dedicated line of funding to establish manning, training, and equipping infrastructure for capable USN UMS programs. These funds would support the infrastructure necessary for UMS to scale to programs of record and operate at-scale in global naval operations.
Finally, the US must robustly and rapidly promote the development of the emerging commercial industrial base for autonomous technologies and uncrewed systems and to incentivize private sector investment in US companies.
Small and disruptive businesses are developing innovative uncrewed maritime technologies but need Congress to do more to ensure they have opportunities to supply the Department of Defense (DoD), USCG, and NOAA with commercial UMS.
BRIDGING THE GAP
A key challenge is that within the DoD, there remains a “say-do gap” on the integration of modern, advanced defense technologies. The DoD is mostly “saying” the right things but failing to adequately transition its acquisition priorities and funding to acquire modern, autonomous technologies.
Without consistent orders from the DoD, US and allied nation uncrewed technologies companies have struggled to scale their production. Without actual orders, it is very hard for companies to build sup- ply lines of components and scale their production capacity and workforce.
Congress must fund, and DoD must place, large scale orders for uncrewed systems, which would both help companies scale production and address the significant shortfall in defense industry readiness identified by the Commission on National Defense Strategy. Placing orders would fuel additional innovation and ensure US technology remains ahead of our strategic competitors.
AUVSI, and our members, stand ready to help support these efforts and to lead from the front to ensure they are successful.
