This 132-ft ship can travel on its own, hunt for stealth submarines

                It’s not only drones and driverless cars that may become the norm someday. Ocean-faring ships might also run without captains or crews. The Pentagon on 2 May showed off the world’s largest unmanned surface vessel, a self-driving 132 foot ship able to travel up to 10,000 nautical miles on its own to hunt for stealth submarines and underwater mines.

                The US military’s research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, or DARPA, in conjunction with the navy will be testing the shop off the San Diego coast over the next two years. Unlike smaller, remote-controlled craft launched from ships, the “Sea Hunter” is built to operate on its own.

                SARPA spokesman Jared B. Adams said the ship relies on radar, sonar, cameras and GPS for movement and detection. Unmanned ships will supplement missions to help keep service members out of harm’s way, Adams said. With its twin diesel engines, it could go as far as Guam from San Diego on a mission.

                Maritime companies of Europe and Asia have been looking into developing fleets of unmanned ships to cut down on operation costs and get through areas plagued by pirates. The idea in the commercial sector has sparked debate over whether it’s possible to make robotic boats safe enough, while others have expressed concern about hackers taking control.