Partnership prepares to certify autonomous maritime systems

Lloyd’s Register has partnered with Sagar Defence Engineering to develop methods of certification, assurance and regulatory acceptance of autonomous and remote-control maritime systems.

They have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly create practical pathways for certifying vessels and onboard autonomous technology.

The two organisations will work together to bridge the gap between technological innovation and operational deployment with regulations and certification.

Lloyd’s Register said the MoU covers working together to develop methods of verification, validation and testing, alongside classification readiness assessments and assurance.

“Autonomous maritime capability is moving rapidly from experimentation to operational deployment,” said Lloyd’s Register vice president for naval and government business, David Lloyd.

“The decisive question is no longer whether autonomy is technically possible, but whether it can be trusted to perform safely, securely and consistently under demanding mission conditions,” he said.

Lloyd’s Register and Sagar Defence will also support the development of operational concepts, mission profiles and safety cases for autonomous technologies.

“Through this collaboration, we will work to establish credible, evidence-based pathways from concept development and system integration through trials, certification readiness, operational acceptance and in-service assurance,” Mr Lloyd confirmed.

“By combining independent assurance, naval engineering, cyber-resilience and regulatory expertise, we aim to support the development of autonomous systems that are safe, resilient, interoperable and mission-ready, giving operators, acquisition authorities and regulators the confidence to deploy maritime autonomy at pace and scale,” he explained.