A new ‘robotic’ ship that could be the future of offshore support vessels is currently undergoing sea trials in Vietnam after launching to sea this past summer.

The first of the Armada class of 78m service and survey vessels is being touted by its creators at Ocean Infinity as “designed for today’s tasks but with tomorrow’s in mind”.

Aside from its fuel efficiency, with a design readied for the latest fuel cell technology, a key aspect of the Armada is that it can sail with a skeleton crew while being controlled remotely from the shore.

“In due course they will be capable of working with no personnel offshore whilst also consuming solely renewable fuel such as ammonia”, the marine tech company says.

The ship currently undergoing trials is designed and built by VARD, the international shipbuilding group headquartered in Norway.

Following the on-schedule delivery of the ship, it will soon begin a transit to Norway where it will undergo fit-out of its remote system.

It will then begin integration with Ocean Infinity’s Remote Control Centre to enable lean-crewed operations for a range of maritime tasks, initially supporting offshore energy.

“We are doing something really difficult here,” Rich Daltry, Ocean Infinity’s marine technology director says, “because we believe it’s the next step in the maritime industry, and it will have a positive impact on people and the planet.”