MARIN conducted the first on-water tests of an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) prototype in The Netherlands back in December 2025. The defense project, developed with innovation center MIND, focuses on the rapid development, deployment and iterative improvement of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
The experimental USV was created through collaboration between multiple companies. IMPACD Boats from Woudsend designed the 3D-printable vessel, while the Dutch Boat Factory in Delft printed the hull in less than a week. Final outfitting occurred in Woudsend, with propulsion provided by a Honda outboard engine connected to an UltraFlex control system for external operation.
The project supports the Royal Netherlands Navy’s transition toward combined crewed and uncrewed maritime operations. Labor market constraints prevent the Navy from expanding personnel numbers, driving development of new operational concepts featuring uncrewed vessels alongside traditional units. The SeaRush platform also enables testing of systems that coordinate with drones and other autonomous platforms.
MARIN is developing integrated control systems through the KNOWONE research program to manage multiple USVs operating with crewed vessels. Software applications have been tested in simulation environments with Defense personnel over the past year. The organization is working with EagleScience to create software architecture that simplifies hardware and software integration aboard experimental vessels.
The SeaRush and KNOWONE projects will converge during the Maritime Uncrewed Sea Trials (MUST) 2026 exercise in June. Defense has requested MARIN demonstrate cooperative concepts at sea using several experimental USVs based on the SeaRush design.
Source: marin.nl