Unmanned Marine Vehicles Market Report 2025

The unmanned marine vehicles market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $4.29 billion in 2024 to $4.71 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%. The growth during the historic period is attributed to expanding naval defense budgets, growing demand for unmanned ocean exploration, heightened need for mine countermeasure missions, increased use in maritime border patrols, and a surge in underwater archaeological surveys.

The unmanned marine vehicles market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $6.79 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5%. The growth expected in the forecast period is driven by rising demand for real-time marine data collection, expanded use in offshore renewable energy projects, heightened focus on autonomous maritime surveillance, increased investments in defense automation, and broader applications in underwater infrastructure maintenance. Key trends include progress in autonomous navigation algorithms, development of modular unmanned vehicle designs, innovations in underwater communication systems, improvements in battery and energy storage technologies, and advancements in integrated multi-vehicle operations.

The growing need for maritime surveillance and security solutions is expected to drive the expansion of the unmanned marine vehicles market in the near future. Maritime surveillance entails monitoring maritime activities to ensure the safety and security of coastal and offshore areas, playing a vital role in detecting illegal activities, protecting maritime borders, and aiding search and rescue missions. The demand for these solutions is rising due to increasing concerns about territorial intrusions and unauthorized actions within national waters, prompting greater investment in technologies that improve real-time maritime monitoring and response. Authorities use unmanned marine autonomous vehicles in surveillance and security efforts to effectively monitor coastal regions and prevent unauthorized maritime activities. For example, in December 2022, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), a Singapore-based organization focused on combating piracy and armed robbery in Asia, reported 84 piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships (80 actual and 4 attempted), representing a 2% increase from 2021. Consequently, the rising demand for maritime surveillance and security solutions is fueling growth in the unmanned marine vehicles market.

Key players in the unmanned marine vehicles market are concentrating on advanced technologies like modular, long-range autonomous platforms to improve multi-domain operational capabilities and mission adaptability. A modular long-range autonomous platform is an underwater vehicle with an open architecture that allows for the integration of various payloads and systems, providing extended operational range and endurance for missions such as mine countermeasures, surveillance, and electronic warfare. For instance, in November 2022, HII, a US-based defense technology company, introduced the REMUS 620, an advanced unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) designed for long-endurance tasks including mine countermeasures and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). This launch represents a notable advancement in autonomous maritime systems, offering naval forces a high-performance, modular platform that enhances undersea dominance and mission flexibility.

In February 2022, Anduril Industries, a US-based defense technology firm, acquired Dive Technologies for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition strengthens Anduril’s undersea autonomy capabilities and broadens its portfolio of AI-driven defense systems, accelerating innovation in maritime security and undersea operations. Dive Technologies is a US-based company specializing in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

Major players in the unmanned marine vehicles market are Lockheed Martin Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Textron Inc., Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Saab AB, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Fugro NV, Oceaneering International Inc., Atlas Elektronik GmbH, Exail Technologies SAS, The Welding Institute, Saildrone Inc., Physical Sciences Inc., Oceanalpha Co Ltd, SeaRobotics Corporation, Maritime Robotics AS, and Ocean Aero Inc.

North America was the largest region in the unmanned marine vehicles market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in unmanned marine vehicles report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the unmanned marine vehicles market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sharp hike in U.S. tariffs and the associated trade disputes in spring 2025 are notably impacting the aerospace and defense sector by raising costs for titanium, carbon fiber composites, and avionics materials largely sourced from global suppliers. Defense contractors, locked into fixed-price government contracts, absorb these added costs, while commercial aerospace firms face airline pushback on higher aircraft prices. Delays in component shipments due to customs bottlenecks further disrupt tight production schedules for jets and satellites. The industry is responding by stockpiling critical materials, seeking waivers for defense-related imports, and collaborating with allied nations to diversify supply chain.

Unmanned marine vehicles are either autonomous or remotely controlled watercraft designed for tasks such as surveillance, data gathering, naval operations, and environmental monitoring. Their key purpose is to improve maritime activities by operating without onboard human presence, thereby boosting safety and efficiency. These vehicles help minimize operational risks, reduce costs, assist in defense and scientific missions, and drive the advancement of smart maritime technologies.

The primary categories of unmanned marine vehicles are unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). USVs resemble robotic boats that navigate water without a crew. They operate via different control methods, including remote operation and autonomous systems, and utilize various propulsion types such as diesel-electric, electric, and hybrid systems. These vehicles serve numerous applications like marine security and defense, oceanographic and hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring, maritime patrols, offshore mining, and more. Their users span government bodies, research organizations, commercial enterprises, military forces, and the energy sector.

The unmanned marine vehicles market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides unmanned marine vehicles market statistics, including unmanned marine vehicles industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a unmanned marine vehicles market share, detailed unmanned marine vehicles market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the unmanned marine vehicles industry. This unmanned marine vehicles market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The unmanned marine vehicles market consists of sales of autonomous surface and underwater vessels, navigation systems, and advanced communication systems. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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