
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently completed the successful initial test of at-sea refueling for unmanned surface vessels (USVs) as part of its No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A Dec. 19 DARPA release said this refueling is designed to be used with the NOMARS USV Defiant, which is meant to operate autonomously for long durations at sea. The vessel is specifically designed with “no provision, allowance or expectation for humans on board.” NOMARS is an effort to…