Sagar Defence and Lloyd’s Register Partner on Autonomous Maritime Systems Certification

Summary

Sagar Defence Engineering Limited (SDEL) and Lloyd’s Register (LR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop pathways for the assurance, certification and regulatory acceptance of autonomous and remotely operated maritime systems. The collaboration will focus on testing, validation, safety assessments and operational readiness, supporting the deployment of autonomous technologies across commercial, government and defence applications.

Partnership Targets Certification and Regulatory Readiness

Sagar Defence Engineering Limited and Lloyd’s Register will collaborate to establish practical frameworks for the safe deployment of autonomous and remotely operated maritime systems. The agreement aims to address the certification and regulatory challenges facing developers as autonomous technologies progress from testing to operational use.

Growing interest in maritime autonomy across commercial shipping, government and defence sectors has increased the need to demonstrate system safety, reliability and compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.

Under the MoU, the two organisations will combine Lloyd’s Register’s expertise in classification, assurance and regulatory compliance with Sagar Defence’s experience in developing autonomous and remotely operated platforms.

The partnership will focus on supporting classification, certification readiness and operational acceptance, while contributing to the development of guidance and assurance frameworks for wider industry adoption.

Collaboration to Cover Testing, Verification and Safety Assessments

The organisations will work on practical approaches to verification, validation and testing, alongside classification readiness assessments and assurance methodologies.

The collaboration will also cover operational concepts, mission profiles and safety cases. Engagement with regulators, government agencies and industry stakeholders will form part of the effort to develop certification pathways suited to autonomous maritime technologies.

The proposed framework is intended to connect engineering development with the evidence required to demonstrate safe and reliable performance under operational conditions.

Lloyd’s Register Highlights Safety and Mission Readiness

David Lloyd, Vice President, Naval and Government Business at Lloyd’s Register, said the industry’s focus was shifting towards establishing confidence in autonomous systems under demanding operational conditions.

“Autonomous maritime capability is moving rapidly from experimentation to operational deployment. For the world’s leading navies, the decisive question is no longer whether autonomy is technically possible, but whether it can be trusted to perform safely, securely and consistently under demanding mission conditions.

“Through this collaboration, Lloyd’s Register will work with Sagar Defence to establish credible, evidence-based pathways from concept development and system integration through trials, certification readiness, operational acceptance and in-service assurance. By combining independent assurance, naval engineering, cyber-resilience and regulatory expertise, we aim to support the development of autonomous systems that are safe, resilient, interoperable and mission-ready, giving operators, acquisition authorities and regulators the confidence to deploy maritime autonomy at pace and scale.”

Sagar Defence Sees Role for Stronger Assurance Frameworks

Mridul Babbar, Director of Sagar Defence Engineering Limited, said the collaboration would help strengthen the regulatory and certification foundations required for autonomous maritime technologies.

“Autonomous and remotely operated systems are set to play an increasingly important role across maritime and defence applications. Working with Lloyd’s Register will help us strengthen the assurance, certification and regulatory foundations that support these technologies.

“Together, we aim to accelerate the journey to operational deployment and support wider industry confidence in autonomous systems.”

System-Level Assurance to Support Autonomous Operations

Dipali Kuchekar, Global Director, Naval Autonomous Systems at Lloyd’s Register, highlighted the need to assess autonomous maritime systems as integrated arrangements rather than evaluating individual components in isolation.

“Maritime autonomy cannot be assured by looking at the platform, software or mission in isolation. Confidence must be built at system level, considering how the vessel, autonomous functions, sensors, communications, remote operators and supporting infrastructure work together under normal, degraded and failure conditions.

“Our collaboration with Sagar Defence will bring assurance into the development process from the outset. This will help translate operational needs into clear engineering requirements, define proportionate test and evaluation evidence, and support a traceable pathway towards certification, operational acceptance and assurance throughout the system lifecycle.”

The agreement establishes a collaborative framework for addressing the technical and regulatory requirements associated with autonomous maritime operations. Its focus on system-level assurance, testing and certification readiness is intended to support the transition of autonomous platforms towards operational deployment.