Never having to worry about the lookout's effectiveness....

[Angele]

..... you'll know there isn't one.

Japanese unmanned cargo ships

 

[Tomahawk]

The idea is attractive to shipping companies for obvious cost savings... But also because without a crew, the African pirates have no crew to ransom.

 

[knuterikt]

Closer than you think
https://www.km.kongsberg.com/ks/web...65865972888D25FAC125805E00281D50?OpenDocument
https://www.ntnu.edu/documents/2058...hips.pdf/e60834b0-b0f7-4d61-b368-3ee38f829afc

 

[sailorman]

Also one being built in Norway for local Ore transport, check out G Captain

 

[Bobc]

At least it won't play cards, get drunk, or fall asleep.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The idea is attractive to shipping companies for obvious cost savings... But also because without a crew, the African pirates have no crew to ransom.

Stuff the crew. How much is the cargo worth for ransom?

 

[RAI]

In some parts of the world they are more worried about the same technology being used to fly drones firing missiles at them.

The watch will be delegated to some Indian call centre.

 

[TheEcho]

I doubt the cargo is worth a huge amount on the black market.

Without crew safety to worry about, there could be remote control seacock activation to scuttle the ship in a crisis. Or even blow a hole in the bottom. It would be quite a piracy deterrent.

Of course, all such things are a trade off - then you get hackers holding you to ransom threatening to sink all your ships.

 

[weustace]

Why do that? Surely if it comes down to it, make the machinery compartments suitably bombproof and secure any manual overrides. Then what are the pirates going to do—tow the ship, against engines and steering, with a couple of outboards?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I doubt the cargo is worth a huge amount on the black market.

Neither is the crew. The cargo is worth a great deal to the people who have already paid for it. Large ships are hijacked for their cargoes - the crews are a bonus and often just an inconvenience, which is why they are often released and the ships retained.

 

[RAI]

Even without the piracy argument. The cost savings of taking the captain and crew off the ship and redesigning the living and working space for additional cargo has to be attractive.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Even without the piracy argument. The cost savings of taking the captain and crew off the ship and redesigning the living and working space for additional cargo has to be attractive.

Won't they need to have all that stuff in reserve for when the electronics breaks down?

 

[RAI]

Won't they need to have all that stuff in reserve for when the electronics breaks down?

Well hopefully they will copy the air transport industry and have triplication or dual dual systems to ensure high reliability and fail safe modes. Then they might need the ability to fly in repair crews. Near congested areas, pilots could extend their radius of action.

 

[prv]

In some parts of the world they are more worried about the same technology being used to fly drones firing missiles at them.

Or indeed simple unmanned boats, remote-controlled rather than truly autonomous, packed full of explosives. The control gear off eBay would be a fraction of the price of the outboard.

Pete

 

[RAI]

Or indeed simple unmanned boats, remote-controlled rather than truly autonomous, packed full of explosives. The control gear off eBay would be a fraction of the price of the outboard.
Pete

Don't we call those torpedoes?

 

[prv]

Don't we call those torpedoes?

Only when built at vast cost by defence contractors in first-world nations and sold to governments.

I don't know what they call them when knocked up by random individuals or militant groups using cheap and abundant hobbyist parts, but there probably is an official term in Naval circles because it's something they're rightly concerned about.

Pete

 

[pagoda]

Or indeed simple unmanned boats, remote-controlled rather than truly autonomous, packed full of explosives. The control gear off eBay would be a fraction of the price of the outboard.

Pete

It's not impossible that all the malcontents will need to take a ship are a laptop and an IT guru. Might not need to go on board to do that either???

 

[prv]

It's not impossible that all the malcontents will need to take a ship are a laptop and an IT guru. Might not need to go on board to do that either???

We're talking about two different things now, but yes, that's absolutely a risk too. Unfortunately, experience in (for example) the automotive world shows that industries that didn't grow up with their products connected to the Internet tend to be very poor indeed at software security.

Pete

 

[RAI]

Only when built at vast cost by defence contractors in first-world nations and sold to governments.
I don't know what they call them when knocked up by random individuals or militant groups using cheap and abundant hobbyist parts, but there probably is an official term in Naval circles because it's something they're rightly concerned about.
Pete

Flight Refuelling (Wimbourne) used to produce radio controlled high speed power boats (they bought and modified racing boats) to be used as naval artillery targets. They didn't carry explosives though.

 

[RAI]

It's not impossible that all the malcontents will need to take a ship are a laptop and an IT guru. Might not need to go on board to do that either???

Indeed, perfectly possible. The US drones carrying Hellfire missiles run the same risk. They take a lot of measures to try to prevent it happening of course. So far I haven't heard of the Russians taking control of one of them in Syria but I'm sure they try.