IRS certifies India’s first indigenous autonomous navigation software for unmanned surface vessels

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has announced the successful certification of the Advanced Autonomous Navigation & Control Software (A2NCS) – the first indigenously developed autonomous navigation software suite designed for Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs).

Developed jointly by the Indian Navy’s Weapons and Electrical Engineering Systems Establishment (WESEE) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), this software represents a major milestone in advancing India’s maritime autonomy and indigenously developed defence capabilities. 

A2NCS is an autonomous navigation and control suite specifically designed to enable unmanned and autonomous surface vessel operations. Integrated into the Indian Navy’s Fast Interceptor Boat (FIB) platform – now designated as the autonomous FIB (A-FIB) – the software empowers the vessel to undertake autonomous/remote controlled missions.

A2NCS supports remote and autonomous operations, offering flexibility across a wide range of unmanned maritime mission scenarios. It provides enhanced situational awareness by fusing inputs from multiple sensors to create a real-time maritime picture, thereby enabling safe autonomous navigation in complex and high-traffic maritime environments.

A2NCS has been validated through rigorous testing in simulated environment and extensive sea trials, demonstrating compliance with COLREG requirements, cyber resilience and fail-safe performance, said a release.

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