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1 Theo Bajon & Sarah Grand-Clement, Uncrewed Maritime Systems: A Primer 1 (2022)

handle is hein.unl/ucwdmtm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS - Uncrewed maritime systems (UMSs) be distinguished first by the environment in which they operate: on the surface of the water (uncrewed surface vehicles) or un- derneath it (uncrewed underwater vehicles, which can operate both on and under the surface). Within these two categorisations, UMSs can be distinguished ac- cording to characteristics such as their size, weight (or displacement), speed, range and, for underwater sys- tems, depth. Generally, civilian UMSs tend to be smaller in size than military UMSs. - Although their use in the military domain is currently limited, UMSs could pose significant international security challenges. Some of these are general mari- time security challenges that are exacerbated by the use of UMSs, notably due to the maritime domain being vast and difficult to monitor. Other challenges are specific to UMSs, notably in terms of how the anti- cipated proliferation and misuse of these systems, particularly by non-state actors, will further affect overall security. Additionally, the lack of a legal defini- tion for UMSs has been linked to uncertainty around the legality of their use for military activities in parti- cular parts of the ocean. - UMSs currently face specific technical challenges that limit their use and the performance of certain complex tasks. Research and innovation in this field, as well as in related areas, is likely to overcome these challenges by improving their navigation capabilities and their endurance. Developments in sensors, artificial intelli- gence and computational power will also improve autonomous navigation systems in maritime environ- ments, thereby reducing the dependence on a crew. INTRODUCTION The development of uncrewed maritime systems (UMSs) - which include vehicles that can be piloted either remotely or semi-autonomously - has increased. The term UMS encompasses both the vehicle (the uncrewed maritime vehicle, UMV) and the control system that enables its remote operation. In the context of this primer, autonomy refers to the autonomy of a vehicle's navigation and object-identification functions enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), rather than the rules-based automation, or auto- nomy underlying the use of a vehicle's potentially lethal payload. This primer is intended to provide policymakers, diplomats and other non-technical interested parties with an introductory overview of UMS technological developments and their security implications. Similar primers are also available on uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) and uncrewed ground systems (UGSs), as well as a compendium that gives an overview of all three systems and goes into further detail regarding areas of inno- vation related to these uncrewed systems. The primers and the compen- dium can also be used as technical guides on issues relating to uncrewed systems within frameworks and processes where such systems are rele- vant and are discussed, such as the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on the continuing operation and relevance of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) and its further development, the Confer- ence of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, and the GGE on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems. This primer introduces the different types of UMS, describes their key components and functions, and outlines the main challenges that these systems can pose to international security. The focus of the primer is on describing the main areas of technological innovation and development related to the key components that comprise UMSs, outlining the antici- pated areas of progress and potential concern. The material presented here is drawn from publicly available sources and from interviews with experts from the private sector, academia, national government, and regional or international organisations conducted between October 2021 and February 2022.

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