Safely navigating the oceans with unmanned ships.

Abstract

Unmanned ships represent the biggest advancement in shipping in decades, but they pose some of the biggest regulatory challenges. This paper focuses on the legal requirements which have to be fulfilled as part of safe navigation. In relation to safe navigation the biggest legal challenges are posed by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGS), the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS), and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW). The challenges posed by STCW can be avoided by not applying it, though it could be useful in developing regulations for remote control centres. By considering technological developments and remote controllers as fulfilling existing obligations in COLREGS and SOLAS, it becomes clear that unmanned ships can be considered, in law, as capable of navigating as safely as existing ships.