Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Market Report 2025

The autonomous underwater vehicles market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $2.41 billion in 2024 to $2.91 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing need for ocean exploration, defense and military applications, increased demand for underwater surveys, rising awareness of climate change, advancements in energy exploration, efficient data collection, cost-effective underwater exploration.

The autonomous underwater vehicles market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $5.77 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising demand for underwater monitoring, climate change impact monitoring, deep-sea mining exploration, commercial applications in fisheries, autonomous navigation capabilities, enhanced autonomous decision-making. Major trends in the forecast period include integration of artificial intelligence (AI), miniaturization and compact designs, technological advancements, increasing investment in AUV technology, technological miniaturization, advancements in battery technology.

The growth of the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) market is being driven by the rising demand for ocean research and increasing defense expenditures. Scientific ocean research provides essential data and tools for a better understanding of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. Globally, defense systems are significantly engaged in ocean research, utilizing human-operated submersibles that can retrieve geological, biological, and archaeological cores, samples, and artifacts from the deep ocean floor - efforts that are greatly facilitated by the use of AUVs. For instance, in April 2022, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based organization focused on arms control, arms transfers, and non-proliferation, reported that Russian military spending in 2022 rose by an estimated 9.2% to approximately $86.4 billion, representing 4.1% of the country's GDP, up from 3.7% in 2021. Consequently, the increasing emphasis on ocean research and rising defense expenditures worldwide are driving the expansion of the autonomous underwater vehicles market.

The expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration and production is another significant driver for the autonomous underwater vehicle market. These vehicles are crucial for maneuvering through challenging underwater conditions, inspecting machinery, and checking for issues such as damage and corrosion on wellheads, pipelines, and subsea installations. Rystad Energy, a Norwegian energy research company, projects that annual greenfield capital expenditure for offshore oil and gas will surpass $100 billion in 2023, marking the first time since 2012 and 2013. With $214 billion in new project investments anticipated in the next two years, the offshore oil and gas industry is expected to grow by 16% in 2023 and 2024. The expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration and production is thus driving the growth of the autonomous underwater vehicle market.

Technological advancements are a prominent trend in the autonomous underwater vehicles market, with major companies focusing on developing advanced solutions to maintain a competitive edge. For example, Kongsberg Gruppen, a Norway-based aerospace company, launched HUGIN Edge in March 2022 - a next-generation medium-sized AUV equipped with new battery technology. The HUGIN Edge incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as synthetic aperture sonar, a high-frequency multibeam echosounder, and a swappable camera or sub-bottom profiler, weighing approximately 300kg and offering exceptional durability and reliability. This emphasis on technological innovation contributes to the sustained growth of the autonomous underwater vehicles market.

Major players in the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market are actively pursuing strategic collaborations with prominent manufacturing companies to enhance their market positions. These strategic collaborations enable companies to join forces with partners possessing specialized expertise, facilitating the realization of conceptual ideas. For instance, in June 2023, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., a Brazilian petroleum industry company, entered into a collaboration with Nauticus Robotics, a US-based ocean robot manufacturer and autonomy software and services company, to develop and test the Aquanaut AUV. This strategic partnership aims to enhance Petrobras' offshore operations in Brazil by leveraging the advanced capabilities of the Aquanaut AUV. Nauticus Robotics, known for manufacturing AI-powered autonomous robots for data collection and intervention services in the maritime sector, brings valuable expertise to the collaboration.

In February 2022, Anduril Industries, Inc., a US-based defense product company, acquired Dive Technologies Inc., marking an undisclosed financial transaction. This acquisition was a strategic move by Anduril Industries to expand and diversify its portfolio of AI-powered products. Dive Technologies Inc., a US-based autonomous underwater vehicle manufacturer, became an integral part of Anduril Industries, contributing to the company's growth and positioning it as the maritime division within the larger entity. These collaborations signify a trend among major players in the AUV market to strengthen their capabilities and broaden their market reach through strategic partnerships and acquisitions.

Major companies operating in the autonomous underwater vehicles market include Fugro N.V., Kongsberg Gruppen A.S.A, Boston Engineering Corporation, Teledyne Technologies Inc, The Boeing Company, Atlas Elektronik Gmbh, Riptide Autonomous Solutions, Tianjin Sublue Ocean Science & Technology Co. Ltd, Falmouth Scientific Inc., Terradepth, ecoSUB Robotics Limited, Eelume AS, BaltRobotics Sp.z.o.o., Hydromea SA, Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Chesapeake Technology Inc, Exocetus Development LLC, OceanServer Technology Inc., Phoenix International Holdings Inc., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Thales Underwater Systems, ECA Group, Hydroid Robotics Inc., OceanServer Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the autonomous underwater vehicles market in 2024. The regions covered in the autonomous underwater vehicles market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the autonomous underwater vehicles market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are self-propelled marine vehicles that operate without human intervention, performing tasks such as collecting visual seawater data, remote navigation, detection, and mapping for diverse marine applications and oceanographic research.

AUVs are categorized into shallow, medium, and large types based on their operational depth capacities, typically used for depths up to 150 meters. These vehicles are equipped with payloads including cameras, sensors, synthetic aperture sonar, echo sounders, and acoustic doppler current profilers, enabling functionalities such as collision avoidance, communication, imaging, navigation, and propulsion. AUVs find application in various fields such as archaeological exploration, environmental monitoring, defense operations, oceanography, offshore renewable energy, oil and gas industry, as well as search and salvage missions.

The autonomous underwater vehicles market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides autonomous underwater vehicles market statistics, including autonomous underwater vehicles industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an autonomous underwater vehicles market share, detailed autonomous underwater vehicles market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the autonomous underwater vehicles industry. This autonomous underwater vehicles market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The autonomous underwater vehicles market consists of sales of the torpedo, laminar flow body, streamlined rectangular style, and multi-hull vehicle. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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