How USVs Are Transforming U.S. Maritime Safety and Efficiency

By VOICES Staff.

Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) are already rapidly transforming the defense sector, assisting in everything from offshore inspections to port security and beyond. However, as USVs become more prevalent in American waters, the question remains: how do we integrate this technology while upholding the principles of the Jones Act, ensuring that American mariners remain at the center of our maritime future? American Maritime VOICES sits down with Jack Dougherty, co-founder and Uncrewed Systems Principal at Janus Marine & Defense, to discuss how the men and women of American Maritime can integrate autonomous vessels to support U.S. economic, homeland and national security.

Through five key questions, Dougherty discusses how USVs are improving safety and efficiency, what role they play under the Jones Act, and how the U.S. maritime industry can stay competitive in this evolving space. Dougherty provides firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead and emphasizes that while the tools may change, the mariner remains essential.

Please, tell us about yourself and Janus Marine & Defense. 

My name is Jack R. Dougherty, and I’m the co-founder and Uncrewed Systems Principal at Janus Marine and Defense. I bring over 20 years of experience across the maritime sector—including service in the U.S. Navy and as a certified USCG STCW 95 instructor, having trained sailors, mariners, and offshore personnel in sea survival, fast rescue craft, and other critical disciplines.

My background spans hands-on maritime operational leadership aboard both manned and unmanned platforms, with extensive experience in remote operations, strategic USV integrations, and field deployments in both commercial and defense environments. I’ve led the design, development, and operational testing of next-generation autonomous vessels—working directly with shipyards, OEMs, and defense stakeholders to bring platforms from concept to mission-ready deployment. This includes overseeing vessel redesigns with advanced autonomy and propulsion systems, refining internal systems for efficiency and durability, and conducting full lifecycle testing in both controlled and operational conditions. From serving as a test boat driver for oil and gas and defense projects, to building custom test facilities for post-manufacturing trials, I’ve been deeply involved in shaping platforms that meet the demands of real-world maritime operations.

At Janus Marine and Defense, we help bridge the gap between traditional seamanship and next-generation autonomy. Our team provides hands-on services across the U.S. and internationally—supporting both defense and commercial clients. Domestically, we’ve worked with the U.S. Navy, defense primes, and research institutions to field-test USVs, train operators, and support real-world missions. On the commercial side, we assist port operators, marine contractors, and offshore energy companies in integrating autonomous platforms for surveying, inspection, and persistent surveillance.

Whether it’s deploying fly-away contractor teams, supporting mission planning, or integrating smart payloads into multi-domain operations, our mission remains the same: to ensure autonomy enhances—not replaces—the mariner. We believe U.S. innovation must stay grounded in operational experience, and we’re proud to stand at that intersection.

How does Janus Marine and Defense support maritime operators?

Janus Marine and Defense supports maritime operators by serving as a trusted partner through every stage of autonomous system integration—from concept to deployment and sustained operations. Our team bridges the gap between traditional seamanship and emerging autonomous technologies, ensuring that operators are not only equipped with cutting-edge tools, but also the training, procedures, and support needed to use them effectively and safely.

We provide full-spectrum services tailored to both defense and commercial clients. These include:

USV Testing & Evaluation: We conduct rigorous on-water testing programs, validating performance, reliability, and mission suitability for USVs under real-world conditions. From endurance trials to multi-domain payload assessments, we make sure platforms are mission-ready.

Remote Operations & Training: We train mariners, operators, and mission planners on how to effectively operate USVs—both in the field and from Remote Operations Centers (ROCs). Our instructors bring real-world operational experience and are certified in USCG STCW 95 instruction, ensuring a blend of autonomy training and core maritime principles.

Mission Planning & CONOPS Development: We work directly with operators to design clear concepts of operation that align with their mission goals—whether that’s environmental monitoring, port and harbor security, hydrographic survey, or ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) for defense clients.

Regulatory Support & Compliance: As autonomy becomes more mainstream, navigating regulatory frameworks becomes more complex. We assist clients in ensuring that their systems meet U.S. Coast Guard, IMO, and local maritime authority requirements, helping them operate legally and safely in U.S. and international waters.

Payload Integration & Customization: We help integrate and test a wide range of mission-specific payloads—including EO/IR cameras, hydrophones, sonar, comms systems, and kinetic payloads for defense applications—ensuring seamless operation and reliability in complex environments.

Forward-Deployed Technical Teams: When needed, we deploy contractor support teams globally to operate, maintain, and adapt systems on-site. Whether it’s alongside U.S. Navy Task Force 59 in Bahrain, or working with commercial survey teams on the Gulf Coast, we’re built to scale and respond rapidly.

Commercial Applications: In the commercial sector, we support offshore energy companies, survey firms, and environmental agencies in implementing USVs for inspection, monitoring, data collection, and asset protection—helping them reduce risk, lower costs, and operate around the clock.

At Janus, we understand that autonomy is not a plug-and-play solution. It requires trust, training, and operational discipline. That’s why we tailor our support to fit the operational reality of each customer—from dockside to the remote control room, and every mile in between.

What role do USVs play in improving job safety and efficiency for ocean and inland river mariners?

Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) are playing an increasingly critical role in improving both job safety and operational efficiency for mariners—whether on the open ocean, along inland waterways, or working nearshore industrial zones. Rather than removing the mariner from the equation, USVs are shifting them into safer, more technically advanced, and often more strategic roles.

From a safety standpoint, USVs reduce the need for crew to be physically present during high-risk or routine operations in hazardous environments. Missions such as offshore inspections, oil spill assessments, high-tempo harbor patrols, and environmental monitoring during severe weather can now be conducted remotely or autonomously—keeping human operators out of harm’s way.

Additionally, autonomous systems enable lightly-crewed vessel operations, where a small team manages and oversees advanced systems either from onboard a mothership, shore-based control centers, or even in hybrid formations with both manned and unmanned assets. This reduces the personnel footprint required aboard smaller platforms, minimizing risk without compromising mission effectiveness. This is particularly beneficial for bridge and infrastructure inspections in high-traffic or low-clearance environments, where operating space is limited and hazards are numerous.

From an efficiency perspective, USVs allow for 24/7 operational capabilities. There’s no requirement for crew rest, watch rotation, or extended provisioning. These platforms can be pre-programmed or remotely tasked, and thanks to their modular design, one vessel can support multiple missions with quick reconfiguration—eliminating downtime and increasing asset utilization.

Importantly, the shift to autonomy is happening through stepped integration, not a disruptive replacement of the workforce. IMO Level 1 autonomy—defined by automated onboard processes with human oversight—is already widely in use across the industry. From automated navigation and collision avoidance to remote-controlled survey boats, USVs are quietly augmenting mariner operations every day.

Rather than making mariners obsolete, these tools elevate the role of the mariner. Today’s mariner may be seated behind a control console, monitoring multiple vessels across a region, planning missions, performing remote diagnostics, or analyzing sensor data in real time. These are high-skill, decision-making roles that enhance both safety and operational impact.

At Janus Marine and Defense, we help operators adopt this technology the right way—through training, operational support, testing, and system customization—ensuring mariners remain essential in this evolving landscape. Autonomy is not about replacing people—it’s about keeping them safe, expanding their reach, and strengthening their value across the maritime domain.

What role does the Jones Act play in advancing USV adoption in American waters?

I spent two years as Chief of Staff to Michael Rodrigues—who previously served as the U.S. Deputy Maritime Administrator before becoming Commandant of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy. During that time, we were focused on one thing above all: protecting the future of the U.S. Merchant Marine and ensuring that American mariners remain the backbone of our maritime capability. The Jones Act is a key part of that effort—ensuring U.S.-built, -owned, and -operated vessels continue to be crewed and supported by American talent.

As we enter the era of autonomous systems and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), there’s understandable concern about what this means for jobs at sea. But here’s the reality: technology has always changed the tools we use—but never the need for skilled mariners.

Years ago, being a boiler technician or sailmaker was a critical part of the maritime workforce. Those roles didn’t disappear—they evolved. Today’s mariner is more likely to manage engine control systems than fire a boiler or sew a sail, but the marine profession didn’t lose relevance—it gained capability. The same is true with autonomy.

USVs still require experienced mariners—just in new capacities. Remote operations, mission oversight, system diagnostics, logistics, and hybrid vessel support are all part of the future. At Janus Marine and Defense, we’re working to ensure USV integration is aligned with the Jones Act and centered around a U.S. maritime workforce that’s ready to lead this next chapter.

The tools may change, but the mariner remains essential.

What steps should the U.S. maritime industry take to stay competitive in the autonomous systems space?

To stay competitive in the fast-moving world of autonomous maritime systems, the U.S. maritime industry must take deliberate, coordinated steps that prioritize both innovation and workforce readiness. It’s not enough to build smarter vessels—we must build the ecosystem of people, infrastructure, and policy that can support and sustain them.

First and foremost, we need to embrace workforce transformation. That starts with hands-on, operational training in autonomy. Mariners need exposure to USVs, remote operations, and mission planning—not just in theory, but through real-world simulations and on-water experience. This isn’t limited to those who plan to operate autonomous systems directly; autonomous vessels are already here, and every mariner, regardless of their role, will be expected to safely interact with them and share the same sea lanes.

That’s why maritime academies must take a proactive approach—not a reactive one. The next generation of officers and engineers should graduate with a baseline understanding of uncrewed systems, COLREGS compliance in mixed traffic environments, and autonomy-driven watchstanding. Whether a mariner ends up operating USVs or not is their decision—but their vessel will be operating alongside them, and their awareness will be critical to safety.

We also need to invest in physical and digital infrastructure. That means more U.S.-based test ranges, Remote Operations Centers (ROCs), and controlled experimentation zones where USVs can be validated safely and repeatedly under maritime authority oversight.

Small-scale prototyping and iterative innovation must be supported alongside large government programs. Many of the most practical breakthroughs in USV hardware, autonomy stacks, and payload integration come from small businesses and university labs. We need more rapid prototyping pipelines that allow these innovations to reach the water quickly and feed back into operational use.

The path forward also requires regulatory clarity. The U.S. Coast Guard, MARAD, and IMO need to work with industry to define operational frameworks for mixed-crewed and uncrewed environments—including how autonomy fits into vessel certifications, insurance, and liability. Without a clear regulatory lane, innovation stalls.

Finally, we must incentivize domestic manufacturing and bring shipyards, software developers, payload suppliers, and training institutions to the same table. If the U.S. wants to lead in this space—for defense, commercial, and environmental applications—it will take a fully integrated national effort.

At Janus Marine and Defense, we’re confident that autonomy is no longer a question of if, but when. The path forward demands a unified, forward-thinking strategy—one that equips our maritime workforce, modernizes our infrastructure, and embraces innovation without abandoning tradition. The mariner’s role is evolving, not disappearing. By placing experienced professionals at the center of this transformation, we ensure that the future of maritime autonomy is not only technologically advanced—but operationally sound, safe, and sustainable.