The No Mariners Required Ship, or NOMARS, program is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s ambitious project to develop and create a medium unmanned surface vessel that’s able to perform missions, conduct self-maintenance and carry a large payload all without a single human onboard.
Serco is currently working on the Defiant testbed under contract to DARPA with the goal of making this dream happen. The War Zone reports that the ship will be in the water for testing by January 2025.
Obviously, such a forward-thinking technology requires a number of unorthodox and boundary-shattering technical advancements — new configurations of power generation, propulsion, control schemes and machinery line-up. But according to DARPA’s Dr. Greg Avicola, program manager in the Tactical Technology Office, the program’s tech requirements necessitate a rethinking of the way the DOD acquires its tools.
“DARPA’s goal on the NOMARS program is not only to push the technology inside the Uncrewed Surface Vessel forward for future Navy applications, but also to rethink acquisition, logistics and maintenance infrastructure that keeps a USV fleet operational, paving a vision for a larger number of unmanned ships than currently imagined,” Avicola told ExecutiveGov.
Avicola spoke to us in advance of his appearance at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit, where he’ll speak on a panel about the ways the Navy is incorporating autonomous systems into its fleets. You can bet he’ll be talking about NOMARS specifically and the opportunities it’s opening up for industry down the line — don’t miss out on this prime GovCon networking opportunity; register now!
