14.2 m hydrogen-ready SWATH USV from ACUA Ocean, built for stability in rough seas.
Pioneer is the first of a class of 14-metre uncrewed vessels from British company ACUA Ocean, designed to stay at sea for weeks in rough water. Its twin submerged hulls, a SWATH layout, keep the deck steady in waves that would toss a much larger conventional boat. Electric motors can be powered by hydrogen fuel cells for about 18 days or by diesel generators for about 50, making it one of the first hydrogen-capable ocean drones.
14.2 m, 25 GT small-waterplane-area twin-hull (SWATH) design with hybrid-electric drive (twin 40 kW RAD Propulsion motors) and either gaseous hydrogen fuel cells or low-emission diesel generators, giving 18 or 50 days of endurance at 4 kn. Approved in principle for Category 0 open-ocean operation. ACUA reports Southampton University tank tests showing seakeeping better than a monohull three times its length. Sea trials were scheduled to begin in Q4 2024.
ACUA Ocean's Mk1 USV PIONEER has successfully completed a five-day remotely operated offshore demonstration, validating the concept of persistent, multi-domain maritime operations using a long-endurance uncrewed surface vessel.
Ocean News & TechnologyACUA Ocean's Mk1 USV PIONEER has successfully completed a five-day remotely operated offshore demonstration, validating persistent, multi-domain maritime operations using an uncrewed surface vessel.On Monday 22 June 2026, PIONEER departed…
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