Blue Water Autonomy unveils autonomous ship developed with Damen

Blue Water Autonomy, Boston, has announced details of its first vessel, the Liberty class, a 190' steel autonomous ship designed for the U.S. Navy.

The vessel features a range of over 10,000 nautical miles and more than 150 metric tons of payload capacity. Blue Water Autonomy designed the vessel in partnership with Damen Shipyards Group, Gorinchem, Netherlands, under a licensing agreement. Construction will begin at Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, La., in March 2026, with the first vessel expected to be completed later this year under a Navy program of record.

The Navy is accelerating plans to field uncrewed surface vessels following lessons from Ukraine, where small autonomous boats damaged or sank larger Russian warships, and amid growing development of similar systems by China and other nations.

The Liberty class will be built on Damen's Stan Patrol 6009 hull design, which features an "Axe Bow," a distinctive vertical bow that slices through waves. More than 300 Axe Bow vessels are currently operating globally.

"The Liberty class reflects our focus on building autonomous ships that are designed from the start for long-duration operations and repeat production," said Rylan Hamilton, CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. "By adapting a proven hull and re-engineering it for unmanned operations, we're delivering a vessel that can operate for extended periods without crew while being produced at a pace the Navy urgently needs. This is a modern take on an old idea: building capable ships quickly and at scale."

Blue Water redesigned the vessel's internal systems for autonomous operation, including the engine room, mechanical and electrical systems, and fault-tolerant propulsion systems. The design enables automated control and fault management with limited human intervention during months-long deployments.

The vessel's design supports missions including missile, sensor, and logistics payloads.

"The Axe Bow hull was designed for demanding operational requirements, from speed and range to seakeeping," said Mark Honders, design and license manager at Damen. "Seeing the Stan Patrol 6009 adapted for autonomous operation underscores the flexibility of the design and demonstrates how proven commercial designs can serve new and emerging maritime missions."

Blue Water said it developed the Liberty class entirely with private capital. The company plans to move into serial production following delivery of the first vessel, targeting 10 to 20 vessels per year.

"Conrad has a long history of building complex vessels for both commercial and government customers," said Cecil Hernandez, president and CEO of Conrad Shipyard. "We have the infrastructure, workforce, and production readiness to begin construction and support serial builds, helping translate advanced vessel designs into operational capacity."

Conrad Shipyard operates five yards with a 1,100-person workforce that produces more than 30 ships per year. The shipyard has previously built Damen-designed hulls.

The Liberty class name references the Liberty Ships of World War II, which were produced rapidly and at scale.