Blue Water Autonomy Introduces Liberty Class, a 190-Foot Autonomous Ship for the U.S. Navy

Vessel design draws on successful Axe Bow hull and targets first vessel completion and serial production for the U.S. Navy this year

BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based technology and shipbuilding company, today announced details of its first vessel, the Liberty Class. Liberty is a 190-foot steel autonomous ship with a range of over 10,000 nautical miles and over 150 metric tons of payload capacity. The autonomous surface vessel was designed in partnership with Damen, with construction beginning at Conrad Shipyard in March 2026. The first vessel is expected to be completed for the U.S. Navy later this year under a program of record.

As the U.S. Navy drives to expand fleet capacity, accelerating the deployment of unmanned systems that complement traditional crewed ships has become a critical effort. Liberty's design supports a range of missions, including missile, sensor, and logistics payloads, and offers the Navy a ship immediately producible with existing U.S. shipyards and commercial supply chains.

Proven Design

The Liberty Class will be built on Damen's Stan Patrol 6009 hull design. Blue Water selected the design due to its Axe Bow, a distinctive, vertical bow that slices cleanly through the waves, minimizing slamming and allowing more gradual wave re-entry. With over 300 Axe Bow vessels operating globally, the hull shape offers proven performance. This proven design reduces technical risk, allowing Blue Water to focus engineering on re-architecting the vessel's internal systems for autonomous operation. The resulting platform retains the hull's performance, payload capacity, and seakeeping characteristics, while supporting months-long deployment and serial production.

"The Liberty class reflects our focus on building autonomous ships that are designed from the start for long-duration operations and repeat production," said Rylan Hamilton, CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. "By adapting a proven hull and re-engineering it for unmanned operations, we're delivering a vessel that can operate for extended periods without crew while being produced at a pace the Navy urgently needs. This is a modern take on an old idea: building capable ships quickly and at scale."

Blue Water redesigned the vessel from the inside out, beginning with the engine room and extending through the ship's mechanical and electrical systems through autonomous configuration of fault-tolerant propulsion systems. Those design choices enable automated control and fault management with limited human intervention on months-long deployments, resulting in a design with an operational range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles. Wrapped around the ship's internal technology, the axe bow steel hull offers a rugged wave-piercing ship proven in harsh ocean environments.

Blue Water and Damen saw symbiosis between Damen's proven hull and Blue Water's focus on high endurance autonomous vessel technology. The Stan Patrol 6009 hull design has been deployed across multiple commercial and government programs and provides a well-established foundation for new applications. Damen supports the program through its Damen Technical Cooperation (DTC) licensing model, which it has applied with partners and shipyards around the world, including in the United States.

"The Axe Bow hull was designed for demanding operational requirements, from speed and range to seakeeping," said Mark Honders, Design and License Manager at Damen. "Seeing the Stan Patrol 6009 adapted for autonomous operation underscores the flexibility of the design and demonstrates how proven commercial designs can serve new and emerging maritime missions."

Privately Funded and Production Ready

The launch of Liberty comes as Navy and Pentagon leadership push defense contractors to privately develop key military technology. Blue Water, working with over 100 world class suppliers such as Damen and Conrad, has developed Liberty entirely with private capital, an unprecedented approach for a full sized Navy ship, but one typical in commercial markets.

Blue Water's ships will be constructed at Conrad Shipyard in Louisiana, whose five yards and 1,100-strong workforce produce 30+ ships per year. Conrad uses an advanced shipbuilding approach, including highly automated panel line and welding techniques, that allow parallel builds and scalable throughput.

"Conrad has a long history of building complex vessels for both commercial and government customers," said Cecil Hernandez, President and CEO of Conrad Shipyard. "We have the infrastructure, workforce, and production readiness to begin construction and support serial builds, helping translate advanced vessel designs into operational capacity."

Liberty class is a reference to the Liberty Ships of World War II, which were produced rapidly and at scale to meet urgent national needs. Following delivery of the first ship, Blue Water plans to move into serial production, targeting 10 to 20 vessels per year. Construction of the Liberty class will take place at Conrad Shipyard in Louisiana - which has produced Damen-designed hulls before -leveraging existing shipyard capacity and workforce to support efficient production, and drawing on its experience delivering complex commercial and government vessels. 

About Blue Water Autonomy

Founded in 2024, Blue Water Autonomy is making unmanned ships a reality. Blue Water Autonomy's autonomous ship design fully integrates hardware, software, and AI, allowing vessels to operate on the open ocean for months at a time. For more information, visit www.blw.ai.

About Damen Shipyards Group

Damen Shipyards Group has operated for more than 90 years, providing maritime solutions worldwide across ship design, construction, conversion, and repair. The company operates 35 shipyards and 20 other businesses in 20 countries, supported by a global sales and service network, and employs more than 12,000 people worldwide.

About Conrad Shipyard

Conrad Shipyard, LLC, established in 1948 and headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana, designs, builds and overhauls a wide variety of steel marine vessels, including barges, dredges, and dredge support equipment, tugboats, ferries, drydocks, liftboats, offshore supply vessels and other steel products for commercial and government customers. Conrad provides conversion, repair, and new construction services at its five shipyards located in southern Louisiana and Texas.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Blue Water Autonomy