USX-1 Defiant christened, launching Serco’s autonomous era

The USX-1 Defiant represents a radical departure from traditional ship design, conceived from the keel up with no provision or expectation for human crew. (Photo Credit: Serco Inc.)

Virginia-based Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology, engineering, and management services, announced the christening of the USX-1 Defiant, the groundbreaking demonstrator vessel for DARPA’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. The ceremony took place on Monday, August 11, at Everett Ship Repair in Everett, Wash., signalling a pivotal moment in Serco’s future of naval architecture and autonomous operations.

“We christened a vessel that embodies a new spirit of innovation,” said Tom Watson, CEO of Serco Inc. “The Defiant re-imagines naval architecture, freeing us from the constraints of human habitation to create a ship capable of operating autonomously at sea. This aligns with the Nation’s mission of delivering a distributed, highly capable USV fleet that can operate in contested waters and high-threat environments, extending the reach of our Navy—without putting our sailors at risk.”

The USX-1 Defiant represents a radical departure from traditional ship design, conceived from the keel up with no provision or expectation for human crew. This “clean-sheet” approach aims to deliver unprecedented advantages in size, cost, at-sea reliability, hydrodynamic efficiency, and survivability, ultimately enabling a new class of highly capable and cost-effective unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

Following its christening, the USX-1 Defiant soon will begin an at-sea demonstration of its reliability and endurance. The program aims to validate the core NOMARS concept, paving the way for significant advancements in unmanned naval capabilities.