TKMS reached a significant milestone in the field of autonomous unmanned watercrafts: DNV has granted the MUM demonstrator an Approval in Principle (AiP), thereby officially confirming that it was designed and developed in accordance with the DNV class rule “Underwater technology” and the DNV Class Guideline “Autonomous and remotely operated vessels.”

TKMS is thus the first German company to have the design and development of an autonomous unmanned watercraft based on the class rules confirmed by an AiP. The scalable demonstrator, measuring 25 meters in length and 7 meters in width, is scheduled to set sail for the first time in 2026 and will be tested in specially developed scenarios.

“Among experts, compliance with class rules is considered one of the most challenging hurdles in the development of autonomous maritime systems.…