Legal and Engineering Challenges to Widespread Adoption of Unmanned Maritime Vehicles

The increasing use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and other unmanned maritime vehicles (UMVs) present a number of legal and policy challenges. Consensus seems to be emerging in the legal community that UMVs are vessels subject to U.S. maritime laws. It is less clear, however, how UMVs can adhere to navigational rules that were designed for traditional vessels. In addition to challenges posed by the COLREGs, wide-ranging battery and wave powered gliders and other UMVs present opportunities and challenges to the ocean science community. Operations of UMVs in marine protected areas may provide important new knowledge or improve enforcement of regulations. But impacts on sensitive marine habitats need to be considered. Use of UMVs in international waters is important to global ocean observing but presents risk of unwanted salvage or uncertain diplomatic consequences if vehicles stray into a non-operating nation's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or territorial waters. This paper will explore these and other legal and technical challenges impeding the development of the UMV sector.(1)