Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Industry Research Insights: Global Forecast to 2030

The Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Industry—encompassing a wide array of Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs), Marine Drones, Surface Drones, and Naval Unmanned Systems—is forecast to grow from USD 0.82 billion in 2025 to USD 1.59 billion by 2030, expanding at a robust CAGR of 14.1%. This rapid expansion reflects the increasing demand for unmanned capabilities in defense, maritime research, offshore energy, and environmental monitoring.

Market Drivers

• Defense Modernization: Rising global security threats are pushing navies to adopt Defense USVs, including Anti-Submarine Warfare USVs (ASW USVs) and Mine Countermeasure USVs (MCM USVs) to enhance autonomous surveillance, threat detection, and payload delivery without endangering human crews.

• Environmental & Hydrographic Use: Demand for USV technology in oceanography, bathymetric surveys, and climate research is accelerating, particularly through surface drones used by scientific and research institutions.

• Commercial Sector Growth: The offshore oil & gas sector is adopting unmanned surface systems for pipeline inspection, asset monitoring, and environmental compliance—minimizing human presence in hazardous areas and reducing costs.

• Technological Advancements: Enhanced autonomy, AI integration, and real-time data transmission are enabling smarter, more capable Autonomous Surface Vehicles, suitable for both shallow coastal work and deep-sea missions.

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Segment Highlights

By Size

• Small USVs are the fastest-growing segment due to their affordability, rapid deployability, and minimal operational requirements. Their use in coastal surveillance, port security, and scientific sampling is expanding rapidly. Miniaturization and rugged sensor integration are making them more versatile and mission-ready.

By Speed

• >30 Knots Segment dominates the unmanned surface vehicle market due to its tactical advantages in high-speed naval patrols, emergency response, and interdiction missions. These vehicles offer superior agility for defense and homeland security.

By Application

• Key applications include:

  • Mine Countermeasure (MCM)

  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

  • Hydrographic Surveying

  • Maritime Security & Surveillance

  • Environmental Monitoring

These use cases span across both government and commercial operations, solidifying the importance of modular USVs that can operate independently or alongside crewed vessels.

Regional Insights

North America

• North America leads the global USV market due to unmatched defense budgets, strong R&D infrastructure, and early adoption of Naval Unmanned Systems by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

• Commercial momentum is also rising in offshore drilling, pipeline monitoring, and scientific marine research, driven by companies like Saildrone, Seafloor Systems, and L3Harris.

• Regional investment in AI-driven navigation, autonomy, endurance optimization, and multi-mission payloads is helping sustain North America's leadership.

Europe & Asia-Pacific

• Europe shows strong momentum via Thales, KONGSBERG, and ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, focused on modular marine drones for NATO-aligned operations.

• Asia-Pacific nations like South Korea and India are rapidly enhancing their unmanned surface systems for coastal surveillance and defense preparedness, with increased involvement from firms like LIG Nex1 and BEL.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent players across regions are shaping the industry through system integration, naval contracts, and maritime automation platforms:

• L3Harris Technologies (US)

• Teledyne Technologies (US)

• Textron Inc. (US)

• Exail Technologies (France)

• Elbit Systems (Israel)

• Thales (France)

• MARTAC (US)

• KONGSBERG (Norway)

• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

• SEA-KIT International (UK)

• Bharat Electronics Ltd. (India)

Many of these firms provide full-stack solutions, including remote command, propulsion systems, navigation modules, and payload integration, supporting both autonomous and remotely operated mission sets.

Future Outlook: A Sea of Opportunity

The Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) market is entering a transformative era, where evolving threats and expanding commercial demands are accelerating the shift to smart, scalable marine drone solutions. From anti-submarine warfare to scientific exploration, the convergence of autonomy, miniaturization, and maritime resilience is creating a wave of innovation across the surface drone ecosystem.

Related Reports:

Unmanned Surface Vehicles Market by Application (Mine Countermeasure, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Hydrographic Survey, Security), Type (Autonomous, Remotely Operated), System, Cruising Speed, Hull Type, Endurance, Size and Region - Global Forecast to 2030