Blue Water and Damen plunge in to autonomy

One latest example is the Liberty Class, a 190-foot unmanned surface vessel designed by Damen and Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based technology and shipbuilding company that has been tasked with building the vessel for the US Navy.

Blue Water works with more than 100 suppliers and has developed Liberty entirely with private capital, which it says is an unprecedented approach for a full-sized Navy ship, although typical in commercial markets.

Construction of the Liberty Class, which will begin at the Conrad Shipyard in Louisiana in March, is the first vessel from Blue Water Autonomy, which only began life in 2024 with the aim of focusing on integrating hardware, software and artificial intelligence to enable long-endurance unmanned ships.

Liberty has been designed with a steel hull based on Damen Shipyards Group’s Stan Patrol 6009 hull, an Axe Bow configuration with a near-vertical, wave-piercing bow form intended to reduce slamming and improve sea keeping by allowing more gradual re-entry into waves. 

The Stan Patrol 6009 platform has been used in both commercial and government applications, providing what the companies describe as a lower-risk starting point for autonomous adaptation.

Blue Water Autonomy said it re-engineered the vessel’s internal architecture, beginning in the engine room and extending through mechanical and electrical systems, to support unmanned operation.

Propulsion incorporates fault-tolerant systems designed for automated control and fault management with limited human intervention during deployments expected to last months. The company said that the hull’s established hydrodynamic performance and payload capacity are retained while internal systems are configured for autonomous control.

“The Liberty class reflects our focus on building autonomous ships that are designed from the start for long-duration operations and repeat production,” said Rylan Hamilton, CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. “By adapting a proven hull and re-engineering it for unmanned operations, we’re delivering a vessel that can operate for extended periods without crew while being produced at a pace the Navy urgently needs.

“This is a modern take on an old idea: building capable ships quickly and at scale.”

Damen supports the project through its Damen Technical Cooperation licensing model.

“The Axe Bow hull was designed for demanding operational requirements, from speed and range to sea keeping,” said Mark Honders, Design and License manager at Damen. “Seeing the Stan Patrol 6009 adapted for autonomous operation underscores the flexibility of the design and demonstrates how proven commercial designs can serve new and emerging maritime missions.”

The Conrad Shipyard has been building boats since 1948, operating five yards in Louisiana and Texas and producing more than 30 vessels a year for commercial and government customers.

Blue Water has indicated it intends to scale output to between 10 and 20 vessels per year following delivery of the first ship.