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TKMS is thought to be the first company to receive an Approval in Principle from classification society DNV for the design and development of an autonomous unmanned watercraft.
The approval confirms that the Modifiable Underwater Mothership (MUM) demonstrator complies with specific underwater technology class rules and guidelines for autonomous and remotely operated vessels. This certification represents a shift in the development of large-scale autonomous maritime systems, providing a regulated framework for future engineering and production.
The MUM demonstrator is a scalable vessel measuring 25 meters in length and 7 meters in width, designed to handle a variety of underwater missions.
Christian Rogge, Head of the Submarines Operating Unit at TKMS, commented, “Among experts, compliance with class rules is considered one of the most challenging hurdles in the development of autonomous maritime systems. The AiP thus marks an important milestone that confirms the expertise of our teams across engineering, production, and project management, and lays the foundation for an entire generation of autonomous unmanned watercrafts from TKMS.”
The development process involved structured communication with several authorities to establish a cross-agency approval path for autonomous technology. As part of this process, TKMS submitted extensive design documentation to DNV for rigorous review. While the current approval is tied to the MUM2 research and development project, the regulatory foundation it establishes is intended to support a broader range of future autonomous products.
The MUM2 project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). As the lead coordinator, TKMS manages a consortium that includes EvoLogics GmbH, the University of Rostock, the Technical University of Berlin, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE).
The project is now entering its decisive phase, with the demonstrator scheduled to set sail for the first time in late 2026. Following these initial sea trials, the vessel will undergo testing in specially developed operational scenarios. TKMS intends to utilize the data and insights gained from these tests to transition the technology into concrete customer programs and prepare the next generation of autonomous underwater craft for series production.
