The fully equipped vessel is now ready for commissioning and integration trials from ZeroUSV’s home port of Plymouth. The launching of the first Oceanus12 represents the culmination of nearly 18 months of design, engineering and build effort from the team at ZeroUSV which has been built on the success of the Mayflower 400’s transatlantic autonomous voyage—a milestone achieved through the same inter-company collaborations between Zero USV’s parent company MSubs, their non-profit Promare, and sister marine software company MarineAI.

(Video credit: ZeroUSV)

The launch of the first vessel in the Oceanus12 series does not mean any let-up in the pace, and the coming weeks will see a series of key milestones achieved, with vessel two due to be completed in late March and vessels three and four hot on their heels. An official boat naming ceremony is scheduled for the spring, with a line-up of VIPs on the guest list.

The Oceanus12, designed for long-distance over-the-horizon operations, has also been designed to be mission agnostic, allowing a wide range of potential applications: from surveys and monitoring of critical assets to safety, geophysical surveys, border control, fisheries, defense, and more. Since the “charter” business model was first announced just under 12 months ago, significant interest has been generated, leading to exciting opportunities for these first two vessels, information on which will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Oceanus12 is groundbreaking in multiple areas of technology: from its hybrid-electric drive system, with twin drives for redundancy and efficiency coupled with sufficient onboard fuel for a cruising range of more than 2,500 nautical miles, to the use of the only truly fully autonomous software stack on the market—MarineAI’s Guardian software. The Oceanus12 series represents a seismic shift in what is possible with an uncrewed 12 m vessel. With ZeroUSV not only owning and operating the vessels but also the ROC (remote observation center), the Oceanus12 is a true turnkey package for charter customers.

Zero USV founder Matthew Ratsey said, “Oceanus12 presents a quantum leap forward in autonomous maritime technology, and this is a seminal moment for the team here at ZeroUSV.

“We’ve created the world’s first complete solution—not just a cutting-edge 12 m over-the-horizon USV available for charter, but also full maintenance and support to ensure 24/7 operations with minimal downtime.

“Designed with safety and efficiency in mind, Oceanus12 can take on a wide range of offshore over-the-horizon tasks that would typically require a crew, eliminating on-water risks and associated costs, including significant environmental benefits afforded by it being crewless for clients, this means greater flexibility, enhanced operational efficiency, and zero crew expenses.”

Utilizing a suite of world-class marine sensors, including the internationally renowned mm-wave Navtech Radar, Oceanus12 integrates multiple data streams into MarineAI’s GuardianAI autonomy software. This enables real-time processing and analysis, ensuring COLREG-compliant vessel control and navigation.

Oceanus12 Specifications:

• Green Credentials
• Twin Electric Hybrid Drive giving redundancy and efficiency
• Low Fuel Consumption
• Solar charging for house and emergency loads
• Customizable Design
• Adaptable payload bay
• Sensor agnostic
• Quick change keel (sensor strut) allowing preloaded sensors to be swapped in/out with minimal downtime
• Full Autonomy
• GuardianAI full stack autonomy software by MarineAI installed as standard
• Fully loaded autonomous sensor suite, including HD Radar from Navtech.
• Remote control option
• Over-the-Horizon
• Large fuel capacity for extended missions c. 2,500 nm
• Six knot cruising speed with a sprint speed of 10 knots (subject to payload)
• Technical specification
• Length Overall: 11.55 m
• Waterline Length: 11.40 m
• Max Beam: 2.33 m
• Displacement: 6 tonnes
• Hull Type: Monohull
• Hull Construction: Aluminum
• Installed Power: software limited to 40 kW, available 80 kW
• Speed: 6 knots cruising, 10 knots sprint
• Endurance: 2,000+Nautical miles
• Fuel Capacity: 1,200 liters
• Payload: up to 1 tonne
• Draft: 1.76 m

The Oceanus12 fleet—comprising initially over 12 vessels, including the option for an XLR (Extra Long Range) version stretching to 13 meters in length and carrying over 4,000 liters of fuel and ensuring Oceanus12 is capable of spending not just weeks, but months continuously operating on higher endurance.