According to DNV, the MUM demonstrator complies with the organisation’s “Underwater technology” class rules and its guideline for autonomous and remotely operated vessels. TKMS said the approval marks a significant milestone in the certification process for large autonomous unmanned watercraft.
The company stated that the AiP establishes a foundation for future autonomous maritime projects and products. The MUM2 research and development programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
The demonstrator measures 25 metres in length and seven metres in width. TKMS said the vessel is expected to conduct its first sea trials in 2026 under specially developed test scenarios.
Christian Rogge, head of the Submarines Operating Unit at TKMS, described the certification as a major achievement for the programme. “Among experts, compliance with class rules is considered one of the most challenging hurdles in the development of autonomous maritime systems,” Rogge said.
“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,” he added.
TKMS said it began structured communication with regulatory authorities at an early stage of the programme. The company stated that the process contributed to the development of a cross-agency approval framework for autonomous unmanned watercraft.
As part of the certification process, extensive design documentation was submitted to DNV for review. TKMS said the approval extends beyond the MUM2 programme and could support future autonomous maritime development efforts.
The company is coordinating the MUM2 project consortium, which includes EvoLogics GmbH, the University of Rostock, the Technical University of Berlin, the German Aerospace Center and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics. The project is scheduled to enter its decisive phase with demonstration testing planned for late 2026.
TKMS said it intends to apply lessons learned from the programme to future customer projects. The company added that the effort is aimed at advancing the readiness of next-generation autonomous unmanned watercraft for serial production.
