The term unmanned surface vehicle (USV) or autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) refers to any vehicle that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs have been tested since World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 but have been largely overshadowed. This is due to the fact the USVs, such as the OWL Mk II surveillance drone, have been classified as Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

An autonomous underwater vehicle is a robot which travels underwater without requiring input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification that includes non-autonomous remotely operated underwater vehicles...

s. Recent successes of UAVs in the Afghan War

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...

 may pave the way for a new wave of USVs.

USVs are valuable in oceanography

Oceanography

Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...

, as they are more capable than moored or drifting weather buoy

Weather buoy

Weather buoys are instruments which collect weather and ocean data within the world's oceans, as well as aiding during emergency response to chemical spills, legal proceedings, and engineering design. Moored buoys have been in used since 1951, while drifting buoys have been used since 1979...

s, but far cheaper than the equivalent weather ship

Weather ship

A weather ship was a ship stationed in the ocean as a platform for surface and upper air meteorological observations for use in weather forecasting. They were primarily located in the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans, reporting via radio...

s and research vessels, and more flexible than commercial-ship contributions

Voluntary observing ship program

Due to the importance of surface weather observations from the surface of the ocean, the voluntary observing ship program, known as VOS, was set up to train crews how to take weather observations while at sea and also to calibrate weather sensors used aboard ships when they arrive in port, such as...

.

The Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i Navy is using unmanned surface vehicles today. They are reliable, fast, highly maneuverable, allowing them to conduct a wide range of missions, including patrols of the coast, without endangering navy personnel.

See also

• Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel
  Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel
  The Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel is a watercraft developed by Zyvex Marine in 2010. The boat is 54’ in length and weighs just 8,000 lbs...
  
  
• Protector USV
• Spartan Scout
  Spartan Scout
  The Spartan Scout is a crewless surface watercraft, also known as an unmanned surface vehicle developed by the United States in 2001, and first demonstrated in late 2003. The craft, a rigid hull inflatable boat, weighs two tons, and is seven meters in length...
  
  
• Unmanned water vehicle Piraya
• UAPS20 Unmanned AutoPilot System
  UAPS20 Unmanned AutoPilot System
  UAPS20 is an Unmanned autopilot System that installed on a RHIB boat allows to obtain a low cost Unmanned surface vehicle The system is manufactured by and is composed by:...
  
  
• ACTUV
  ACTUV
  The ASW Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel is a DARPA funded project launched in early 2010 to develop an unmanned ship for Anti-submarine warfare .- Overview :...
  
  
• Springer USV