The certification represents a significant development in the evolution of regulatory pathways for uncrewed surface vessels operating in UK waters . Lloyd’s Register  (LR) has issued the UK’s first certification for a remotely operated and unmanned vessel (ROUV) under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3) Annex 2, with hydrogen-powered PIONEER  from ACUA Ocean  becoming the first vessel to achieve compliance. Introduced by the MCA in Decemb

Video credit: Charlie Froud Cattewater, Plymouth, UK – 21st August 2025  – ACUA Ocean’s hydrogen-powered unmanned surface vessel (USV) PIONEER has successfully completed the world’s first continuous, remote 24-hour offshore operation on zero emissions, marking a breakthrough in the decarbonisation of the global maritime sector. The sea trials demonstrate the commercial potential of hydrogen power for maritime operations while supporting the UK’s ambition to become a world lea

Image from USV Pioneer - circa May 2024 Plymouth, UK – 17th September 2025  – ACUA Ocean has announced an agreement with Aluminium Marine Consultants on the Isle of Wight for the build of the second in the Pioneer-class of uncrewed surface vessels. The agreement includes an intention for a third vessel in the class to follow in 2026. The Pioneer-class, will initially be built under the designation Pioneer Mk2 and will incorporate design optimisations including enhanced system

Plymouth, UK – 7th October 2025  – ACUA Ocean has been awarded a European Space Agency (ESA) contract, supported by the UK Space Agency, to advance their “nested robotic” system for subsea inspection, deployed from USV PIONEER.  The project will accelerate ACUA’s development of Pioneer-class autonomous USV capabilities  to launch and recover (LAR) remotely operated subsea vehicles (ROVs). This “nested robotics” (robot-deploying-robot) solution will expand the capabilities of

Berkeley, CA & Plymouth, UK - August 20th, 2025  - Solideon, a pioneer in autonomous advanced manufacturing, and ACUA Ocean Tech, a British leader in offshore and subsea innovation, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to tackle the urgent challenge of scalable, dual-use production jointly. “As global threats evolve, so must our ability to build at speed,” said Mike Tinmouth, Co-Founder and COO of ACUA Ocean. “We can no longer afford 18-month production

SEA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ACUA Ocean, a specialist in Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), to explore the potential deployment of SEA’s towed array sonar systems aboard ACUA Ocean’s autonomous platforms for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The strategic agreement sets the framework for a collaborative evaluation of the technical integration of SEA’s cutting-edge underwater sensing produ

Serco and Acua Ocean are delighted to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at  DSEI UK .  This partnership sets out to address the increasing need for the development of compelling end-to-end uncrewed vessel operations and data service provision solutions, for the Defence and offshore sectors. The partnership will see the two organisations leverage their expertise from across the autonomous vessel and maritime service sectors to collaborate on various o

By Izzy Taylor, Astromarine Hydrogen took the spotlight for ACUA’s agenda at London International Shipping Week this year, fuelling a...

By Izzy Taylor, Astromarine DSEI 2025 marked some significant milestones for us at ACUA, and we are still buzzing with follow ups and the...

A strategic review of cyber threats to the maritime sector A strategic review of cyber threats to the maritime sector   The maritime...

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At the start of WWII, the British Royal Navy was the largest surface fleet in the world. However, just a few months into the war, the...