FROM CURIOSITY TO CAPABILITY
FROM CURIOSITY TO
[ From Hype to Horizon ]
CAPABILITY
By Simon Adams, USV Operations Specialist
Charting The Course For Offshore Adoption
As 2025 unfolds, a glance back at its predecessors reveals clear and significant progress. USV’s were once gawped at in awe at trade shows as if mythical legend. People stood around in reverence like human satellite’s held by the gravity of curiosity, they would orbit the booth with cautious side steps and quizzical gazes. The shroud of mystery has long lifted.
CHARTING THE COURSE FOR OFFSHORE ADOPTION
Despite the apparent normalisation of the USV concept backed with strong growth in defence, uptake in the offshore commercial sector remains stubbornly below expectation. With more than a centurion of offerings to choose from, we see few on the world stage making significant “over the horizon” headway.
On a positive note, the so-called “mini-mass” market is far outpacing its mid-sized counterparts driven by a growing range of options and a surge in utilisation. The maturing feedback loops between operators and manufacturers are starting to pay off, with next-generation refinements integrated directly into active fleets, delivering immediate impact.
Furthermore, the recent relaxation of UK regulations is poised to accelerate this momentum, creating a fertile ground for what could be a USV “baby boom”.
But, what about the next size up? With offshore capability, higher payload capacity, and extended endurance, the benefits are undeniable. As anticipated by early adopters, the journey in to uncharted territory was dark and fraught with danger. Early underestimations have had costly consequences for some, and even the well-prepared have felt the sting. Once the darkness lifted it brought a dawn of internal operational understanding. A residual layer of caution remained, sitting neatly just beyond line of sight like mist on the horizon. Regional regulations limit operational reach, and the steep cost of advanced systems calls for even more prudence.
So why the struggle?
Why is it harder to adopt these systems compared to ROVs, AUVs, and other offshore technologies? Simply put, they’re not the same. Subsea vehicles are insulated from surface disturbances, while USVs must contend with a wider range of power requirements and collision regulations. Moreover, their operational concepts can vary drastically compared to systems routinely deployed from substantially manned surface assets with robust operational practices.
For most businesses with primary revenue streams offshore, asset integration principles are valid for USV’s but when scrutinised, unearth a number of variation orders. These nuances need to be transmitted through the entire business so it can be effectively procured, maintained, tendered, assured and operated.
Here, a complex system of systems merges into a complex system of people. This is where the real challenge lies. Influenced by media, industry speculation, regulatory ambiguity, and personal bias, the human factor demands as much attention as the technical. Senior strategists may have a grand vision, but those with short-term targets are driven to mitigate risk and secure profits with minimal investment.
While large corporations can shoulder the burden by spreading risk, smaller, agile companies intent on disruption can quickly align internally and move with pace, but lack the resources to develop the necessary training and operational readiness.
2025 feels like we have certainly gone up a notch in terms of industry competence. We have entered a state of “informed optimism,” and who doesn’t want to feel confidently uncertain? The lessons of the past are shaping collaboration between manufacturers, operators, and regulators creates a robust foundation for growth.
Although the face of normalisation is only skin deep, the next wave of USV adoption may well be the turning point, ushering in an era where maturing systems can lay justified claim to becoming indispensable tools in offshore operations.
The road ahead is paved with opportunities, and the optimism surrounding USV’s is contagious, driving us toward a future where the horizon is not just a distant haze, but a tangible reality within our reach.
