Piloda Defence, Havelsan and VN Maritime Technologies have signed an MoU to advance Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) development for Italy’s maritime security market.
The agreement establishes an integrated industrial structure combining autonomous control systems, platform engineering and shipyard capability to deliver unmanned and hybrid naval platforms for applications including coastal protection and search and rescue.
“This cooperation creates a comprehensive national framework for Unmanned Surface Vehicle programmes in Italy, integrating advanced autonomous control systems with local industrial capacity to address coastal protection and search and rescue requirements,” the parties stated.
Autonomous expertise
Under the memorandum, Havelsan will provide autonomous control systems, mission management software, AI-enabled perception capabilities and secure communication architectures.
VN Maritime Technologies will act as prime contractor for overall platform architecture, while Piloda Shipyard, through Piloda Defence, will deliver shipyard infrastructure, production, sea trials, acceptance procedures and full life cycle support services.
The partnership aims to ensure domestic industrial participation while leveraging established expertise in unmanned naval technologies.
Intended applications include maritime ISR surveillance, port security, coastal border protection and search and rescue missions, positioning the Unmanned Surface Vehicle offering to meet evolving operational demands across Italy’s commercial marine and security sectors.
The parties are targeting the signature of the first procurement contract in Italy within the first half of 2026.
Last year, we reported that Piloda Shipyard and VM Maritime Technologies had won a contract to replace 40 vessels for the Italian Coastguard.
The partners said back then that they intended further development of joint projects for unmanned systems, this new contract is a good example.
