BAE Systems Autonomous Pacific 24 (AP24) Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) has been awarded Lloyd’s Register Unmanned Marine Systems (UMS) Certification. It is the first uncrewed naval vessel to achieve this certification, which verifies stringent safety and operational performance standards, according to LR's release.
The AP24 RIB was developed by BAE Systems for the UK Royal Navy under funding from the NavyX autonomy and lethality accelerator programme, which aims to deliver new technology at pace. It is a step-change for the Royal Navy in uncrewed operations, adding capability and flexibility to naval military missions.
The uncrewed AP24 RIB has potential to undertake missions such as force protection and anti-piracy, persistent intelligence gathering and maritime security to meet the evolving threats of modern warfare and keep sailors safe. It is designed to be part of a modern, multi-domain force and can share sensor data easily and securely with allies and enhance the Royal Navy's operational effectiveness at sea whilst reducing threats to its sailors.
LR’s UMS Code was launched in 2017 and has since been awarded to a number of vessels including most recently the DriX uncrewed surface vessel.