Underwater Drone Market By Type (ROV, AUV, Hybrid); By Application (Defense & Security, Offshore Energy, Marine Research, Aquaculture, Infrastructure Inspection, Search & Rescue); By End User (Naval Forces, Oil & Gas Operators, Aquaculture, Port Authorities, Research Institutes); By Region, Segment Revenue Estimation, Forecast, 2024–2030

Introduction And Strategic Context

The Global Underwater Drone Market is poised for rapid expansion, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from USD 1.65 billion in 2024 to an estimated USD 3.41 billion by 2030 , according to internal modeling by Strategic Market Research.

 

These submersible, remotely operated or autonomous vehicles are no longer niche tools reserved for deep-sea scientists or naval missions. They’re now at the center of a strategic shift — where maritime security, offshore energy, aquaculture, and environmental monitoring converge around one key need: real-time underwater intelligence without human risk.

 

So why is this market heating up? Several macro shifts are converging:

First, global maritime defense budgets are rising. Nations are investing in seabed warfare preparedness, mine detection, and stealth reconnaissance. Underwater drones — especially autonomous ones — offer a low-profile, cost-effective surveillance asset for navies wary of underwater threats.

 

Second, offshore industries are going deeper and farther. Oil and gas operators, offshore wind developers, and seabed mining consortia all need precise underwater mapping, pipeline inspection, and asset monitoring — often in challenging, high-pressure environments. Underwater drones are becoming the new workhorses of subsea industrial operations.

 

Third, the blue economy is scaling fast. From aquaculture farms in Norway to coral reef mapping in Southeast Asia, there’s rising demand for environmental diagnostics and ocean health monitoring. Many of these use cases require compact, semi-autonomous underwater vehicles with multi-sensor payloads.

 

And of course, regulation is playing its part. Global maritime law enforcement agencies and coast guards are under pressure to monitor illegal fishing, underwater smuggling, and unauthorized undersea activity. Drones with AI-powered vision and real-time data uplinks are reshaping how authorities patrol their waters — without sending divers into danger.

 

The stakeholder mix in this market is broad — and evolving. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are building agile platforms for both deep-sea and shallow-water use. Defense contractors are integrating these vehicles into larger multi-domain operational systems. Offshore services companies are embedding drones into their routine inspection work. Environmental research institutes are using them to map uncharted marine ecosystems. And increasingly, tech startups are pushing boundaries with AI, 3D sonar, and modular plug-and-play drone kits.

 

What’s changing now is speed. Not just how fast drones move — but how fast this market is transitioning from military-led demand to a multi-sector, commercially-driven ecosystem. In the next five years, we’ll likely see more deals between drone makers and offshore energy firms than between drone makers and naval forces.

 

Bottom line? Underwater drones are no longer experimental — they’re becoming infrastructure. As the underwater world becomes more accessible through robotics, the industries that depend on it are changing how they operate, how they spend, and how they plan.

 

Market Segmentation And Forecast Scope

The underwater drone market is evolving across several strategic layers — from how drones are built and controlled to what they’re used for and where. The segmentation here doesn’t just reflect product types; it reflects the expanding role of these drones in industries ranging from defense to aquaculture.

By Type

• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
  Still the dominant category. ROVs are tethered to a control station (usually on a ship or dock) and offer live video feeds and direct operator control. They’re ideal for complex inspection and military missions where real-time maneuvering is non-negotiable.

• Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)
  Growing fast, especially in research and offshore energy. These untethered drones are pre-programmed to navigate autonomously — often over long distances or in hazardous zones. AI, onboard processing, and energy-efficient design are driving their appeal.

• Hybrid Vehicles
  These combine ROV flexibility with AUV autonomy. Still niche, but seeing interest in situations that need both adaptive navigation and precise control.

ROVs held about 58% of market share in 2024 , but AUVs are projected to grow at the highest CAGR — particularly in commercial and environmental use cases.

 

By Application

• Defense & Security
  Used for mine detection, undersea surveillance, port security, and submarine tracking. Most military adoption centers on ROVs, but navies are beginning to deploy swarms of small AUVs for distributed sensing.

• Offshore Oil & Gas
  Underwater drones are essential for pipeline inspection, infrastructure monitoring, and pre-drilling surveys. Drones reduce diver risk, inspection time, and insurance premiums.

• Marine Research & Environmental Monitoring
  Universities, oceanography institutes, and NGOs use drones for coral reef mapping, deep-sea biodiversity studies, and pollution tracking.

• Aquaculture & Fisheries
  Used to monitor fish health, inspect underwater cages, and check feeding patterns — particularly in large-scale farms in Norway, Chile, and Canada.

• Search & Rescue / Public Safety
  Deployed by coast guards and disaster response teams to locate submerged wreckage, bodies, or cargo after accidents.

• Infrastructure Inspection
  Ports, dams, bridges, and underwater cables all require regular integrity checks — an emerging commercial market for lightweight drones.

Defense still commands the highest revenue in 2024 , but offshore energy and marine research are gaining rapidly , thanks to increased environmental scrutiny and stricter inspection mandates.

 

By Propulsion and Control System

• Tethered (Cable-Based)
  Reliable and real-time. Widely used for high-risk, complex operations where signal integrity is critical.

• Untethered (Wireless / Autonomous)
  Relies on acoustic navigation, onboard sensors, and edge computing. Enabling long-range and deep-sea deployments.

• Propulsion Type (Thruster-Based, Buoyancy-Driven, Hybrid)
  Most drones still use thruster-based designs, but buoyancy-driven gliders are gaining traction in long-duration environmental monitoring missions.

 

By End User

• Naval Forces & Coast Guards

• Oil & Gas Operators

• Offshore Wind Companies

• Environmental NGOs

• Maritime Infrastructure Companies

• Aquaculture Firms

• Research Institutes & Universities

Each group has different expectations: Navies want stealth and security; aquaculture firms want cost-efficiency; researchers want data quality. The market is shifting toward modular platforms that can adapt to these varied demands.

 

By Region

• North America

• Europe

• Asia Pacific

• Latin America

• Middle East & Africa

Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region due to massive investments in maritime infrastructure, aquaculture, and coastal defense . Meanwhile, North America leads in R&D, patents, and high-end defense applications.

 

Scope Note: This market isn't just segmented by utility — it’s segmented by confidence. Some buyers want operational safety. Others want long-range autonomy. Some just want better video. That’s why underwater drone platforms are becoming more modular and mission-specific — not just tools, but solutions tailored to underwater strategy.

 

Market Trends And Innovation Landscape

The underwater drone market isn’t just expanding — it’s reinventing itself. What used to be a small set of tethered machines used for oil rig inspections has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of smart, autonomous, and highly modular underwater vehicles . Let’s break down the biggest innovation shifts shaping this market.

AI and Autonomy Are Moving Underwater

The biggest leap? Autonomy. Underwater drones are now incorporating AI-driven navigation systems , allowing them to map seafloors, avoid obstacles, and classify marine objects — all in real time, without operator input.

AI is also enhancing post-mission analytics. Drones collect terabytes of visual and sonar data during a dive. Now, machine learning models can sift through that footage to flag pipeline corrosion, seabed anomalies, or suspicious objects automatically.

Some startups are even training AI models to detect specific behaviors — like unusual fish movement near aquaculture sites, or vibration signatures from illegal trawling vessels. That level of autonomy wasn’t even on the radar five years ago.

 

Energy Efficiency and Endurance Are Improving

Battery tech is a major focus. Traditional drones were limited by bulky power systems that only gave them an hour or two of underwater runtime. Now?

• Solid-state batteries and lithium- sulfur cells are increasing underwater endurance.

• Energy-harvesting modules are being tested in gliders, using ocean currents or thermal gradients for passive propulsion.

• Some units can now operate for up to 30 days without surfacing, depending on payload.

This is a game changer for missions like deep-ocean surveys, climate monitoring, or border surveillance.

 

Sensor Payloads Are Becoming Modular and Specialized

Off-the-shelf drones are losing ground to modular platforms. Instead of fixed designs, leading OEMs now offer plug-and-play sensor bays — allowing customers to swap out cameras, sonar, LIDAR, or chemical detectors depending on mission needs.

This means a single drone can serve multiple industries: a pipeline inspector on Tuesday, a coral reef mapper on Friday.

Newer payloads also include:

• High-frequency multibeam sonar for fine 3D mapping

• Subsea fluorescence sensors for oil spill detection

• DNA and plankton samplers for marine biology studies

• Towed magnetometers for military-grade mine detection

 

Miniaturization Is Creating New Use Cases

The push toward smaller, lighter systems is unlocking massive commercial potential. Micro-class drones that once weighed 40+ kg now weigh under 10 kg — and can be deployed from small boats, docks, or even by hand.

These compact systems are becoming popular in:

• Urban port inspections

• Law enforcement dive teams

• Smallholder aquaculture farms

• Academic research expeditions

An environmental NGO in Indonesia now uses a fleet of hand-launched drones to monitor coral bleaching in real time — something that used to require divers and multiple days of work.

 

Defense Players Are Betting on Swarms and Multi-Domain Integration

Military innovation is pushing the edge of what’s possible. Recent R&D programs are focused on drone swarms — small, coordinated AUVs that patrol together, share data via underwater modems, and triangulate targets.

Also in the works: multi-domain mission integration , where underwater drones share data with airborne drones, satellite relays, or land-based radar. This creates a full-circle maritime awareness model — essential in high-conflict naval zones.

 

Notable Collaborations and Pipeline Announcements

• Several European defense labs are co-developing AI-based seabed surveillance AUVs for NATO use.

• Offshore energy majors are funding innovation partnerships to develop autonomous visual inspection tools that reduce diver-based downtime.

• Academic institutions are collaborating with drone OEMs to co-design bio-inspired propulsion systems modeled after fish, allowing smoother and quieter movement in reef zones.

The innovation race here isn’t about who builds the toughest drone — it’s about who builds the smartest, most adaptable, and most autonomous system for a growing list of underwater challenges.

 

Competitive Intelligence And Benchmarking

The underwater drone market is becoming a proving ground for both legacy defense contractors and lean tech startups . Unlike traditional drone sectors dominated by a few giants, this space is still fluid — and that’s driving innovation through competition. Here’s how the key players are positioning themselves across defense , energy, research, and commercial verticals.

Saab AB

A long-standing leader in defense -grade underwater vehicles, Saab offers highly capable ROVs and AUVs — especially the Sabertooth and Seaeye Falcon platforms . What sets them apart is their dual-mode autonomy , combining remote operation with pre-programmed mission profiles.

Saab's tech is embedded in NATO-aligned operations and submarine support fleets. Their recent focus? Enhancing underwater endurance and secure, encrypted data transmission — critical for classified surveillance and mine-hunting ops.

Their advantage is pedigree — governments trust them, and so do military contractors building complex mission systems.

 

Kongsberg Maritime

Norway-based Kongsberg is a dominant player in commercial and scientific AUVs. Their HUGIN series has become a workhorse in offshore energy, seabed mapping, and deep-ocean exploration.

Kongsberg excels in sensor integration and navigation systems — with proprietary inertial navigation that ensures precise seafloor tracking even when GPS is unavailable. They're heavily involved in oil and gas pipeline inspection contracts and have secured R&D partnerships with oceanography institutes.

They’re not chasing flashy features — they’re building deep-sea reliability that gets repeat orders.

 

Blue Robotics

A standout in the affordable, open-source segment, Blue Robotics caters to researchers, hobbyists, and emerging commercial users. Their BlueROV2 is one of the most widely used micro-ROVs globally.

What makes them different? Modularity. They’ve created a DIY-style drone ecosystem — users can customize propulsion, cameras, lights, and even AI modules. This approach is gaining traction in Southeast Asian aquaculture and Latin American environmental agencies.

They’re democratizing underwater robotics — no procurement bureaucracy needed.

 

Teledyne Marine

Teledyne operates across sonar systems, sensors, and AUVs — with a strong reputation in both military and commercial sectors. Their Gavia AUV is used in naval mine detection, while their sonar payloads are often licensed to other OEMs.

Teledyne’s edge lies in sensor development . They specialize in high-resolution side-scan and bathymetric sonar, ideal for archaeological mapping and submerged structure analysis. They also benefit from vertical integration, producing their own instruments and navigation systems.

While others focus on mobility, Teledyne focuses on perception.

 

Deep Trekker

Canadian firm Deep Trekker specializes in rugged, portable ROVs used for municipal water inspections, aquaculture, and infrastructure surveys. Their units are battery-powered, tetherless , and deployable in under five minutes — a major advantage for time-sensitive use cases like search-and-rescue or urgent underwater inspections.

Their value proposition ? No fuss. Quick deployment. Easy controls. Minimal training required. They’ve grown a loyal base of public works departments and small industrial customers.

They aren’t chasing high-margin defense contracts — they’re owning the middle market.

 

Ocean Infinity

A fast-scaling marine robotics company, Ocean Infinity is blending autonomous drones with AI and cloud analytics. Their goal is full-cycle seafloor intelligence-as-a-service . Rather than selling hardware, they offer mission outsourcing — ideal for oil majors and governments that want results, not equipment.

Their fleet of AUVs is supported by robotic surface vessels — an integrated maritime data platform that sets them apart.

Ocean Infinity isn’t just a drone vendor — they’re an underwater data company.

 

Competitive Dynamics at a Glance:

• Saab and Teledyne dominate in defense and government, with high-trust solutions and deep sensor expertise.

• Kongsberg leads in deep-sea commercial missions, backed by partnerships with oil & gas majors.

• Blue Robotics and Deep Trekker are expanding the base — making drones accessible to mid-market users.

• Ocean Infinity is disrupting with a service-first model — fewer units sold, but higher recurring revenue.

To be blunt, this market rewards clarity — not just capability. Vendors that understand who they’re serving (a naval commander, an aquaculture manager, or a climate scientist) will outperform those that try to be everything to everyone.

 

Regional Landscape And Adoption Outlook

The underwater drone market isn’t growing at the same pace everywhere — regional dynamics are shaped by vastly different drivers. Some countries see drones as part of their military modernization. Others need them for offshore energy development or coastal protection. And in some places, they're tools for fish farming or coral conservation.

North America

Still the most mature and diversified underwater drone market globally.

• United States leads with massive military R&D budgets. The U.S. Navy is actively deploying autonomous underwater systems for surveillance, submarine tracking, and unmanned mine countermeasure operations. Programs like LDUUV (Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle) are key strategic drivers.

• The commercial segment is also robust. Offshore drilling firms in the Gulf of Mexico use AUVs for pre-drill seafloor mapping and pipeline inspections. Ports and law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and Canada are adopting drones for underwater inspections and search-and-recovery tasks.

• Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is funding drone-driven ocean health monitoring, from marine debris tracking to coral reef mapping.

North America is where defense -grade and commercial-grade systems coexist — and often overlap.

 

Europe

A key player in offshore innovation and regulatory influence.

• Norway and the UK are dominant buyers, driven by offshore wind farms, oil rigs, and fish farming. Norway’s salmon aquaculture industry has led to widespread use of tethered drones for cage inspection, cleaning, and stock monitoring.

• France and Germany are investing in defense AUVs — both for coastal monitoring and NATO-aligned maritime strategy.

• The EU’s Horizon programs have funded dozens of marine robotics projects aimed at underwater exploration, biodiversity monitoring, and maritime security.

Also, Europe is leading in underwater sustainability mandates. New rules in ports and offshore energy require more frequent and non-invasive inspection — a quiet driver for drone adoption.

 

Asia Pacific

This is the fastest-growing region — not just because of size, but urgency.

• China is aggressively deploying underwater drones for naval modernization, deep-sea mineral mapping, and border surveillance. Reports suggest state-sponsored labs are working on AI-controlled AUV swarms and seabed tracking systems.

• India , Japan , and South Korea are expanding underwater robotics capabilities for both civilian and strategic uses. India has begun integrating drones into its naval programs and underwater mining exploration.

• The offshore wind push in China and South Korea is another catalyst. Drones are used for pre-installation surveys, cable routing, and ongoing maintenance.

• Southeast Asia, meanwhile, is adopting drones for illegal fishing detection , marine conservation , and disaster recovery , often through partnerships with Japan or Western NGOs.

Expect Asia Pacific to be the dominant buyer of low-cost, mid-range drones in the next five years.

 

Latin America

Still an early-stage market, but pockets of demand are emerging.

• Brazil and Mexico are investing in underwater inspection tech for ports, pipelines, and naval bases. Petrobras (Brazil's state oil company) has tested drones for subsea asset inspection.

• Environmental NGOs are using drones in the Galápagos and Amazon basin outflows to study biodiversity and water quality.

• Growth is limited by budget constraints and reliance on imports, but partnerships are forming to localize assembly and reduce costs.

 

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Adoption here is driven by infrastructure , security , and resource mapping .

• In the Middle East , countries like Saudi Arabia , UAE , and Qatar are using underwater drones for port security, desalination infrastructure monitoring, and offshore gas inspections.

• Israel is a standout player — both as a user and developer of compact, AI-integrated underwater drones for military use.

• In Africa , uptake is slow but starting. NGOs are using micro-ROVs for coral reef tracking in the Indian Ocean , and national utilities in South Africa are beginning to inspect underwater dam structures using compact drones.

 

Summary Snapshot

Region	Key Use Cases	Growth Drivers
North America	Military surveillance, offshore energy	Budget depth, dual-use R&D, NOAA funding
Europe	Wind energy, aquaculture, defense	Sustainability mandates, EU R&D grants
Asia Pacific	Naval expansion, aquaculture, wind	Scale, infrastructure boom, geopolitical urgency
Latin America	Oil & gas, conservation	Local pilot programs, limited domestic supply
MEA	Port security, desalination, deep-sea	Defense funding, oil economy diversification

Truth is, the regional race isn’t just about who’s buying drones — it’s about who’s building the support systems: data processing, training, and policy frameworks. That’s where the long-term winners will emerge.

 

End-User Dynamics And Use Case

End users in the underwater drone market are incredibly diverse — ranging from elite naval forces to small aquaculture farms. And while they all use similar hardware, their needs, budgets, and mission priorities couldn’t be more different. That’s why the market is leaning hard toward modular platforms and user-specific support ecosystems.

Naval Forces and Maritime Security Agencies

For military users, drones are more than just tools — they’re part of a strategic transformation in naval operations. These buyers prioritize:

• Stealth and autonomy

• Secure communication protocols

• Long-endurance surveillance

• Mine detection and anti-submarine capability

Many navies now treat underwater drones as an extension of larger unmanned defense strategies, linking them to surface vessels and air assets. The focus is on multi-domain operations and real-time threat mapping .

However, adoption is slow-moving. Defense programs go through long procurement cycles, strict testing, and encrypted software requirements. That said, once embedded, drones become long-term, multi-mission assets.

 

Oil & Gas Operators

In the offshore sector, underwater drones are a cost-reduction tool — plain and simple. They’re used to:

• Inspect pipelines and risers

• Monitor wellheads and manifolds

• Support pre-drill surveys and seabed scanning

Large operators like Shell, BP, and Equinor have adopted ROVs and AUVs to reduce reliance on human divers. What matters here is operational uptime . If a drone can reduce a 6-hour dive to a 30-minute scan — and send instant data — that’s a win.

Operators are now also asking for drone-as-a-service models , where inspection is outsourced entirely to third parties like Ocean Infinity. This shift favors companies offering autonomous systems bundled with analytics dashboards .

 

Aquaculture Companies

This sector has one clear need: monitor the fish, don’t stress the fish .

• Drones are used to check cage integrity, remove net fouling, observe feeding patterns, and track fish behavior .

• Compact, maneuverable drones with camera and lighting presets are preferred.

• Operators often require daily use , so devices must be simple, rugged, and quick to deploy.

Aquaculture firms don’t want training manuals or complex software — they want intuitive, waterproof tablets, plug-and-play controls, and low-cost maintenance.

Some operators in Norway report using drones twice per day to inspect different zones across a single farm, reducing staff labor by 40%.

 

Port Authorities and Civil Infrastructure Inspectors

Harbor managers, dam safety inspectors, and bridge maintenance teams use underwater drones to:

• Survey structural integrity

• Locate sediment buildup

• Monitor underwater pilings

These end users value reliability and documentation . Drones that can capture high-res video, overlay sonar, and export inspection reports directly into asset management software are gaining favor .

Municipal budgets are tight, so lower upfront costs and modular upgrade paths are critical.

 

Environmental and Research Institutions

Universities, marine biology labs, and NGOs use drones for tasks like:

• Coral reef mapping

• Marine life observation

• Plastic and pollutant tracking

• Sediment and water quality analysis

Their top priority? Data quality . That includes:

• High-end sonar

• Temperature and chemical sensors

• Stability in rough currents

Many teams are also experimenting with swarming behaviors , testing how multiple drones can work together to track species or map ecosystems in parallel.

 

Use Case Highlight: Offshore Wind Inspection in the UK

A large wind farm operator in the North Sea faced challenges inspecting subsea turbine bases due to strong currents and murky water. Divers were costly, and traditional ROVs required support vessels.

The operator adopted a fleet of hybrid AUVs equipped with sonar and optical imaging. These drones autonomously scanned turbine bases, then surfaced to transmit data via satellite. The drones could operate for up to 72 hours per mission , and their reports fed directly into the company’s digital twin platform.

Results:

• Inspection costs dropped by 55%

• Time-to-report shortened from 12 days to 48 hours

• Insurance premiums were renegotiated due to documented risk mitigation

The drones didn’t just reduce inspection time — they gave executives new confidence in the condition of their assets.

 

Key Takeaway

Every end user has the same baseline needs: reliability, safety, and data clarity . But the real differentiator? Workflow compatibility . The drones that win in this market are the ones that fit into existing operational rhythms — not those that require rethinking them from scratch.

 

Recent Developments + Opportunities & Restraints

Recent Developments (Last 2 Years)

• 2024: Ocean Infinity deployed a fleet of autonomous AUVs in the Gulf of Mexico to conduct high-resolution seabed surveys for offshore energy clients.

• 2023: Blue Robotics launched a modular micro-ROV platform with plug-and-play sonar and AI-assisted navigation for aquaculture and environmental monitoring.

• 2023: Teledyne Marine introduced advanced high-frequency side-scan sonar payloads compatible with existing Gavia AUVs for commercial inspection and defense applications.

• 2024: Kongsberg Maritime announced AI-based predictive maintenance tools for its HUGIN AUV fleet, reducing operational downtime for offshore oil & gas operators.

• 2023: Saab AB revealed stealth-capable hybrid underwater drones with extended endurance for NATO-aligned naval operations.

 

Opportunities

• Emerging Markets: Rising maritime infrastructure, offshore energy projects, and aquaculture in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East present high growth potential.

• AI and Automation: Continued integration of AI-powered autonomy, swarm coordination, and predictive analytics will open new commercial and defense applications.

• Cost-Effective Inspection Solutions: Increasing demand for drones in municipal water, port inspections, and small-scale aquaculture creates opportunities for compact, modular, and service-based offerings.

 

Restraints

• High Capital Cost: Advanced underwater drones, particularly defense -grade and long-endurance AUVs, require significant upfront investment.

• Skilled Workforce Gap: Operating, maintaining, and interpreting data from complex drones requires specialized training, which limits adoption in smaller commercial or research organizations.

 

7.1. Report Coverage Table

Report Attribute	Details
Forecast Period	2024 – 2030
Market Size Value in 2024	USD 1.65 Billion
Revenue Forecast in 2030	USD 3.41 Billion
Overall Growth Rate	CAGR of 12.8% (2024 – 2030)
Base Year for Estimation	2023
Historical Data	2017 – 2023
Unit	USD Million, CAGR (2024 – 2030)
Segmentation	By Type, By Application, By Propulsion/Control, By End User, By Region
By Type	ROV, AUV, Hybrid
By Application	Defense & Security, Offshore Energy, Marine Research, Aquaculture, Infrastructure Inspection, Search & Rescue
By Propulsion/Control System	Tethered, Untethered, Thruster, Buoyancy-driven, Hybrid
By End User	Naval Forces, Oil & Gas Operators, Aquaculture, Port Authorities, Research Institutes
By Region	North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa
Market Drivers	- Rising defense budgets and maritime security needs - Offshore energy expansion - Growth of blue economy and environmental monitoring
Customization Option	Available upon request