Russian Seas to See Unmanned Vessels by 2023

Russia is planning to develop unmanned sea vessels by 2023.

“In three years, we will see the first samples, since Russia became the first country that has allocated a corridor for testing. The first samples will definitely be followed by solutions that we will see in hardware in 10-15 years,” Alexei Rakhmanov, head of United Shipbuilding Corporation, said on Public Television of Russia (OTR) Wednesday.

"We are making serious steps to fulfil the shipbuilding program through 2050. All the ships have modern armament. The emphasis is made on unmanned craft. These are non-crewed boats, unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic systems performing underwater missions. Of course, we are making an emphasis on these means, armament and military hardware," Navy Shipbuilding Chief Rear Admiral Vladimir Tryapichnikov told Zvezda TV Channel in August.

Alexander Pinskiy, General Director of Industry Association MARINET and the project lead, says that already operating vessels can be made autonomous through modernization and installation of dedicated equipment.

On December 10, the Russian government approved tests of unmanned sea vessels. It will go on until the end of 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin asked head of VEB, Igor Shuvalov, to study the project and urged relevant departments to speed up work on autonomous vessels.