Kongsberg Maritime has announced the delivery of Reach Remote 1, a 79' unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed to support offshore operations. The vessel, developed in collaboration with Reach Subsea ASA, Massterly, and Trosvik Maritime, underwent sea trials overseen by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the Norwegian Maritime Authority.
The Reach Remote 1 will initially conduct underwater surveys near Haugesund, Norway. Kongsberg noted that a second vessel, Reach Remote 2, is set to begin sea trials soon.
As the prime contractor, Kongsberg Maritime noted it oversaw vessel design, shipyard delivery, supply chain management, systems integration, and commissioning. During its sea trials, the USV was remotely monitored and controlled from a temporary Remote Operations Centre (ROC) aboard the support vessel Avant. Once operational, Massterly, a joint venture between Kongsberg Maritime and Wilhelmsen, will control the USV from a land-based ROC in Horten, Norway.
Kongsberg highlighted that operating without a crew offers cost, safety, and emissions advantages compared to traditional crewed vessels. The company said it worked with DNV and the Norwegian Maritime Authority to address regulatory requirements for uncrewed operations. Remote and autonomous functionality will be introduced incrementally as the technology matures, Kongsberg said.
