International data and analytics company GlobalData has forecast that the global market for naval uncrewed maritime vehicles (UMVs) will rise from an estimated $1.273-billion this year to more than $3.1-billion in 2033, the total increase expected to amount to more than $1.9-billion. UMVs are subdivided into uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) and uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs).

“Growing investment in the UMV field has been partially spurred by recent developments in Ukraine, as its navy employed armed USV swarms to inflict significant damage against Russian warships and naval infrastructure,” highlighted GlobalData aerospace, defence and security analyst Aidan Knight. “Repeated attacks on the port of Sevastopol have illustrated the importance of investing in [UUV] and USV technology now to ensure technological parity or overmatch in future conflicts.”

The global UUV market this year is estimated to have a value of $379-million. This is predicted to rise to $965-million in 2033. The USV market this year is probably going to total $894-million, increasing to more than $2.1-billion in 2033.

“The emergence of combat-capable UMV designs mirrors the wider trend throughout the global defence sector whereby military organisations are increasingly weaponising [uncrewed] systems across the air, land and naval domains in order to capitalise on the outsized cost-to-benefit ratio such platforms provide when compared to both conventionally [crewed] platforms and unguided munitions,” he pointed out.

Thus, interest is being shown in designs for dedicated USV carrier, or mother, ships. And interest is also being shown in the possibility of using micro-USVs and micro-UUVs to carry out swarm attacks. At the opposite end of the scale, a number of the countries currently developing extra-large UUVs are also considering the possibility of fitting them with torpedoes, so that they can be used to actively attack hostile forces.

“The UMV market is expected to develop and diversify significantly over the next decade, even though the technology remains in its infancy,” he predicted. “Recent developments in fields such as energy management, artificial intelligence (AI), sensor networking and hull design enable novel applications and avenues for development. Innovation will likely involve enhancement in sensors, autonomous functionality, modularity, and underwater communications. Furthermore, as AI continues to evolve over the next ten years, the UUV market, in particular, will likely expand due to demand for autonomous capabilities in submerged environments.”