ZeroUSV’s Oceanus12 becomes first USV to autonomously launch and recover thin-lined towed acoustic array

An Oceanus12 unmanned surface vessel (USV) produced by UK company ZeroUSV has become the first USV to autonomously launch and recover a thin-lined towed acoustic array without human involvement. Until now, arrays were typically pre-deployed and clipped on or required manual crew handling during launch and recovery.

The feat was achieved during NATO’s Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems (REPMUS)/Dynamic Messenger 25 exercise – NATO’s largest annual exercise for uncrewed naval systems – which this year began on 15 September 2025. Hosted by the Portuguese Navy off the Tróia Peninsula and Setúbal Bay, the exercise brings together more than 20 allied nations, global defence primes and leading innovators to test how uncrewed and crewed fleets can operate together in live missions.

During REPMUS/Dynamic Messenger 25 the Oceanus12 USV has also been used more than a dozen times to deploy G-sized sonobuoys using ZeroUSV’s prototype SOnor Integrated Launch (SOIL) system, marking a key milestone in autonomous underwater sensor delivery. Over the course of the exercise’s first week, the Oceanus12 logged more than 40 operational hours at sea with 100% uptime, reinforcing its reliability in live multi-nation exercises and ability to deliver results at a fraction of the cost of crewed vessels.

Matthew Ratsey, founder and managing director at ZeroUSV, was quoted in a company pres release as stating, “Achieving the first fully autonomous launch and recovery of a towed array is a landmark moment, not just for ZeroUSV but for naval operations worldwide. Demonstrating that this can be done entirely uncrewed, safely and reliably, shows how far the technology has come. When combined with extended endurance, reduced fuel costs and seamless sensor deployment, Oceanus12 is proving what uncrewed systems can deliver now, today in real-world NATO missions.”

The Oceanus12 USV was upgraded ahead of REPMUS25 with advanced sonar, radar and communications payloads to perform its missions. ZeroUSV stated that the vessel “is leading the charge, demonstrating extended-duration, over-the-horizon autonomous operations as part of NATO’s live experimentation programme”.

ZeroUSV’s vessels will remain in Portugal throughout September for further integration, live exercises and the closing showcase.

The 12 m Oceanus12 USV’s autonomy software stack has been developed by software engineering company Marine AI.