No captain, my captain: Navantia floats crewless warship is attracting attention across the tech world. Analysts, enthusiasts, and industry observers are watching closely to see how this story develops.
This update adds another signal to a fast-moving sector where product decisions, platform changes, and competition can quickly shape the market.
Spanish shipbuilder's 75-meter drone vessel comes with sensors, modular payloads, and no room for sailors
Shipbuilder Navantia has put forward a design for an uncrewed
warship intended to complement existing naval vessels in what has been dubbed a
"hybrid navy," although it may not be an exact fit for any current requirements.
Developed by the UK arm of the Spanish firm, the Large
Autonomous Surface Vessel, or LASV75, is basically a large seagoing drone that
is armed like a conventional warship.
As its name suggests, the LASV75 is 75 meters long, making it
about half as long as one of the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers and closer in size to one of the River-class patrol vessels, with a displacement of about 1,000
tonnes.
It is designed to be entirely uncrewed, with no bridge or
crew spaces, and adaptable for different missions via a modular design. Promotional
images also show the vessel carrying several shipping containers, which
have become a common way for navies to quickly add extra capabilities to a
vessel.
as reported by Navantia, the design allows for construction of
the drone at pace and scale, and it is expected to cost significantly less than
crewed warships, although the company did not specify exactly how quickly or cheaply it could be built.
The modularity extends to both mission payloads and
engineering platforms, Navantia told us, allowing the LASV75 to be tailored to
the roles required, from installed power to weapons and sensor capability.
A prominent feature is a mast designed to host a number of
sensor configurations, but we were puzzled by the apparent lack of funnels for
engine exhaust. The ship is equipped with Integrated Full Electric Power and
Propulsion (IFEP), Navantia said, meaning it uses diesel generators to drive
electric motors and power everything else aboard. It has waterline
exhausts.
The LASV75 was designed to meet the Royal Navy's concept of
a hybrid navy, but also to serve wider demand for autonomous vessels. Its size will
enable it to have the range and endurance for task group operations in the open
ocean, the company claims, so it can undertake escort duties or support the Royal
Navy's Atlantic
Bastion strategy to protect undersea infrastructure around the UK, such as cables and pipelines, and to track Russian submarines.
The vessel could potentially meet the requirement for a Type 92 sloop that the Royal Navy outlined for Atlantic Bastion, effectively an uncrewed ship that can patrol the North Atlantic looking out for submarines.
This role is currently filled by the Type 23 frigate, and will be taken by the Type 26 when that comes into service, but the expectation
is that a flotilla of uncrewed Type 92 vessels would allow for greater uninterrupted coverage of the ocean.
"Autonomous vessels are fundamental to the future of
sovereign defence capabilities. Naval capabilities of the future will comprise
a hybrid mixture of crewed warships with uncrewed escorts and ancillary ships,"
said Derek Jones, Navantia UK chief commercial and business advancement officer.
"At Navantia UK, we're investing heavily
in our four shipyards to turn them into ideal partners to
deliver this vision of the future."
The company is currently building the Fleet Solid Support
(FSS) vessels for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which will provide supplies to
Royal Navy ships at sea. ®
Why This Matters
This development may influence user expectations, future product strategy, and the competitive balance inside the broader technology industry.
Companies in adjacent segments often react quickly to similar moves, which is why stories like this tend to matter beyond a single announcement.
Looking Ahead
The full impact will become clearer over time, but the story already highlights how quickly the modern tech landscape can evolve.
Observers will continue tracking the next steps and how they affect products, users, and the wider market.