Havoc partners with Taiwan's CSBC to co-produce autonomous surface vessels

Havoc's Rampage USVs seen here at NATO's Exercise ‘Dynamic Messenger/REPMUS 25' in Portugal. (Janes/Neil Dee)

US unmanned systems company Havoc has announced a partnership with Taiwan's state-linked shipbuilder CSBC Corporation to co-produce autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

According to a joint announcement on 10 September, the companies will combine CSBC's manufacturing and lifecycle support capabilities with Havoc's autonomy technologies to support the production and sustainment of autonomous USVs in Taiwan.

The partnership will involve integrating Havoc's software onto platforms built in Taiwan by CSBC, the shipbuilder's chairman, Jeng-Horng Chen, said.

However, the companies did not specify the types of USVs that would be produced.

Chen added that Taiwan's defence policy calls for autonomous platforms that can be mass-produced, maintained, and upgraded domestically through local industry and technology transfer.

Havoc's maritime portfolio currently comprises four autonomous USVs.

Havoc describes Rampage as an attritable, modular, multi-mission USV designed for distributed maritime operations at scale. According to Havoc, it offers long endurance and can operate from austere locations.

The company also offers the Kaikoa 19, a high-performance autonomous USV for operations in demanding sea states, and Viper, a modular craft intended for high-speed distributed operations.

According to Havoc, Atlas 100 is a large, high-endurance USV capable of carrying containerised payloads totalling up to four TEU and operating for between 60 and 90 days.

Janes has contacted Havoc and CSBC for more information about the USVs to be developed under the partnership.

For more, please see: Taiwan conducts torpedo test from indigenous submarine