Baby’s Day Out!!!
You may have heard about Ukraine’s “Sea Baby”.
In the current war between Ukraine and Russia,
Ukraine’s use of sea drones,
charmingly called “sea baby,”
have wracked havoc on Russia’s naval assets
and infrastructure.
Such notoriety has made sea drones famous.
But in reality, sea drones offer much more than
their military uses.
Overview
Sea drones are unmanned vessels that operate in water bodies, such as oceans, lakes, rivers and canals. Because no humans are onboard, they can:
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operate in hazardous conditions, including in hurricanes and iceberg filled waters,
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stay underwater longer,
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go deep in ocean waters,
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are smaller in size,
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are easy to maneuver,
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cost significantly less, and
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be less conspicuous to and interfering with wildlife.
Surface Drones
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Submersible Drones
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They operate on the surface of a water body.
Often called drone boats, drone ships, drone sails, unmanned surface vehicles/vessels, uncrewed surface vessels (USV), etc.
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They operate underwater and functional at various depth levels.
Often called drone submarines, unmanned underwater vessels (UUV) or underwater autonomous vessels (UAV).
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Image Source: NOAA
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Image Source: QYSEA
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Wired Drones
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Remote Controlled Drones
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Autonomous Drones
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They are navigated by a human from a ship or from a ground station through a connected wire.
They receive power through connected by wires.
They are the simplest and easy to operate, but they have a limited range of operations.
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They are navigated remotely through wireless connection by a human from a ship or from a ground station.
Here, power is supplied by on-board batteries or by solar panels in some surface drones.
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They navigate autonomously using advanced sensing and navigational technologies integrated with artificial intelligence.
Power is provided by on-board batteries or solar panels in some surface drones.
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Given all these advantages, sea drones can help us in many areas beyond military use. For example:
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Enable us to explore the unexplored parts of our vast oceans.
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Strengthen maritime logistics and transportation.
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Help develop aquaculture and fisheries.
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More effectively monitor ocean health and endangered marine spices.
In recent years, the demand for sea drones has grown rapidly, though not as explosively as for aerial drones.
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The global USV market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 13.7% to reach $2.8 billion by 2030, according to Data Bridge Market Research
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The global UUV/UAV market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 11.9% to reach $6.63 billion by 2030, according to Zion Market Research.
India Story
Use of sea drones in not yet widely prevalent in India. According to GlobalData, the Indian USV market to reach $200 million by year 2033. Whereas the Indian UUV market is expected to grow relateively faster.
The initial interest in sea drones in India is from the defense department. Indian navy is actively developing sea drones as well as procuring them from the US, UK and France.
Image Source: India Today
Image Source: L&T
Indian companies like L&T are developing various types of UAVs indigenously. L&T has developed Adamya, Amogh and Maya. Indian Navy is looking to deploy such UAVs in Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions.
TGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), a government shipyard launched a UAV, Neerakshi, for mine detection, mine disposal and underwater surveys.
Image Source: Hindustan Times
Enabling Technologies
Key aspect in sea drones is powering them and navigating them to the intended location in the three-dimensional areas of water bodies.
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Wire-connected. Power is supplied from, and navigation done by a human in a ship on the surface.
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Remote-controlled. Power is supplied by on-board batteries and navigated remotely by a human from a ship or a ground station.
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Fully autonomous using advanced sensing and navigational technologies and artificial intelligence.
Sensors and Cameras
They provide information about obstacles in the surroundings of the drone to the navigator or navigation system.
Image Source: HERE Tech
Image Source: HERE Tech
Sonar
It uses sound waves to collect info (including speed and direction if moving) about obstacles not visible from camera.
GPS
It receives information from GPS satellites to identify precise information about the drone’s location.
Image Source: IEEE
Image Source: JW Fishers
Remote Control Systems
They enable the human operator to operate the drone from a ship on surface.
AI/ML
Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms operate autonomous drone in real-time.
Who Would be Interested?
Military
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Transport weapons using Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (XLUUVs)
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Anti-sabotage inspections
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Locating naval mines
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Attacking enemy ships and other navel installations in a war
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Autonomous Coast Guard patrols
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Protecting exclusive economic zones and reporting violations
Maritime
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Monitoring ship movements
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Underwater inspection of the condition of ship’s hull, rudder and propellors
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Certain types of underwater repairs of ship parts
Strategic Legal Considerations
Water Navigational Laws
Many countries have developed regulations for the management of aerial drones, but little has been done about sea drones. Laws developed to regulate large and crewed watercrafts do not fit well to actualities of USVs/UUVs/UAVs, especially with respect to their production and registration.
For example, navigation on inland water bodies in India is regulated by the Inland Vessels Act, 2021. Despite being relatively a new law, there is no explicit reference to USV or UUVs. Applying this law would prohibit construction of a USV/UUV without prior approval. Even a small craft designed for pleasure, videography or monitoring wildlife habitat would require mandatory registration and certification.
Data regulations - Privacy and geospatial data
Typically, sea drones in use cases like recreation, videography or monitoring assets may operate around human beings and record their movements and behavior.
In such situations, care must be taken that personal data is not captured, otherwise it could lead to extensive compliances under data privacy and protection laws.
Moreover, if drones are capturing or using any location data, existing guidelines on collection and use of geospatial data would need to be evaluated. India issued the National Geospatial Policy in December 2022 in addition to the Guidelines for Acquiring and Producing Geospatial Data issued in February 2021.
Safety and Liabilities
Sea drones can cause accidents or collisions with other vessels, structures, or marine life. Owners, manufacturers, and operators may be held accountable for any resulting damage or injuries. Adequate insurance coverage and risk management practices may be mandated by the law.
Sovereignty
Sea drones may accompany cruise ships and private yachts for various purposes. When sailing in international waters but near a nation, sea drones may inadvertently enter the territorial waters of the nation. Sea drones are often too small to register on radars and sonar systems. Hence, governments would be concerned.
How do we reconcile the right of innocent passages in territorial waters as applied with ships to sea drones?
Environmental concerns
USV/UUVs may be equipped with mechanical capabilities which enable them to interact with their surroundings. In interactions, such as maintaining any underwater infrastructure or conducting any research, they should not harm any aquatic plants or wildlife, especially those covered under endangered spices.
Moreover, USV/UUV operations may cause chemical pollution during their production or in operation due to a malfunction or a collision. In addition, their propulsion systems may cause noise pollution which can affect communication, navigation, and social behavior of marine life, especially of those dependent on sonar and bioacoustics. Such effects can trigger liability under pollution control laws.
Defense and security concerns
As illustrated by the devastating effects of the military use of sea drones by Ukraine and Houthi rebels, many nations are rethinking their defense of naval assets and installations against sea drones. Their first course of action is to ban sea drones or significantly curtail the area and range of operations they can perform.
Concerns are not just for the offensive use for assault, but also about reconnaissance by sea drones. Sea drones are often too small to register on their radars and sonar system. Operators must be aware of any restrictions or prohibitions on the use of sea drones in certain areas to avoid repercussions.
Sources and Further Reading
Prepared By
With contributions by:
Shweta Iyer, Associate, IPpro
Aniruddha Majumdar, Associate, Technology
Abhimanyu Shah, Intern
Huzefa Tavawalla, Leader, Technology
Nishith Desai Associates
For any questions on legal, regulatory, IP and tax issues related to disruptive technologies, reach out to:
Vaibhav Parikh, Leader, TMT and PE/VC Practices; Head, US Operations
vaibhav.parikh@nishithdesai.com
Dr. Milind Antani, Leader, Pharma/Lifesciences and NanoTech Practices
milind.antani@nishithdesai.com
Abhay Porwal, Head, IPpro
abhay.porwal@ipproinc.com
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