Van Oord said that their newest uncrewed survey vessel (USV) – the VO:X Barentsz – is the first uncrewed seagoing vessel to fly the Dutch flag.
The VO:X Barentsz is Van Oord’s fifth USV and the first one specialized for operations at sea.
Also, this 7-meter vessel is designed for challenging offshore conditions and supports their dredging, offshore wind and maritime infrastructure projects.
A vessel is allowed to fly the flag of a country once that country issues a certificate of registry. This connection between the vessel and the flag state forms the basis of the applicable maritime law on board the vessel.
“ This milestone is an significant acknowledgement of unmanned vessels and indicates that the industry, together with the Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, is developing the required regulations for these vessels ,” said Van Oord .
Unmanned survey vessels enable Van Oord to collect more data for the clients at lower emissions.
Additionally, deploying these vessels increases safety by eliminating the need for an onboard operator and surveyor, the company concluded.