Regulatory
Regulatory actions
| Body | Action | Jurisdiction | Week | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Nations Security Council | Diplomatic statement on maritime security risks of AI and autonomous ships | International | W45 ‘26 | +3 more |
| China Classification Society | granted Type Approval Certificate for 'Unmanned Boat Perception and Autonomous Navigation System' | China | W45 ‘26 | |
| Korea Maritime and Ocean University | leads international standards for autonomous vessel camera situational awareness | — | W45 ‘26 | +4 more |
| — | led drafting of national and international USV standards | China | W45 ‘26 | |
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization | approved JANUS as a standard for underwater acoustic communication | — | W45 ‘26 | |
| — | old regulations strangling autonomy at sea | United States | W45 ‘26 | |
| — | approved for autonomous operation safety assessment | South Korea | W45 ‘26 | +2 more |
| — | approved for safety evaluation | South Korea | W45 ‘26 | |
| — | court ruling in favor of Saildrone over contract snub | — | W45 ‘26 | +2 more |
| — | Clarify export licenses and intellectual property rights for cross-border cooperation | Ukraine, Taiwan, third countries | W45 ‘26 | |
| 台灣立法院 | 三讀通過《強化國防自主暨無人載具產業發展條例》 | 台灣 | W45 ‘26 | |
| IACS | introduced Unified Requirements E26 and E27 with emphasis on cyber resilience of ships and onboard systems | — | W45 ‘26 | |
| Taiwan News | recommends updated requirements for unmanned marine systems | Taiwan | W45 ‘26 | |
| NTSB | calls for uncrewed vessel safety standards | — | W44 ‘26 | +7 more |
| US investigators | sound alert on lookouts for autonomous vessels | United States | W44 ‘26 | |
| Saudi Arabia | wants autonomous ships in its waters before binding global rules exist | Saudi Arabia | W44 ‘26 | |
| US Court of Federal Claims | Set aside Navy's decision to eliminate Saildrone from MUSV competition; ordered reevaluation of Saildrone’s proposal | United States | W44 ‘26 | +3 more |
| MCA | seeks industry views on maritime autonomy | — | W44 ‘26 | |
| Australian Naval Seaworthiness Authority | Assessed and authorized SEASAT Lightfish for naval operations under ANSR 307 | Australia | W44 ‘26 | |
| South Korean government | unveils AI transformation strategy for marine and fisheries sector | South Korea | W44 ‘26 | |
| ClassNK | technical certification (TQ) for autonomous navigation technologies | — | W44 ‘26 | +2 more |
| Bureau Veritas | Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate awarded | — | W43 ‘26 | +2 more |
| Coast Guard | Rules requiring crews aboard vessels entering port may need to change | United States | W43 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organisation | implementation deadline for autonomous shipping | — | W43 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | autonomous shipping code took effect on a voluntary basis | global | W43 ‘26 | |
| — | push for operating zone designation | — | W43 ‘26 | +8 more |
| — | naval warfare rules begin to loosen | — | W42 ‘26 | |
| International Seminar on Autonomous Ship Navigation Technology Standards | Held seminar on standards | China | W42 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | adopted MASS Code as non-mandatory from July 2026, targeting mandatory code for 2032 | International | W41 ‘26 | +2 more |
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency | MASS Code announcement covering remotely operated and autonomous cargo ships within SOLAS Chapter I | International | W41 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | MASS Code to become mandatory instrument | international | W40 ‘26 | |
| ISO | granted ISO 9001 certification | — | W39 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | Improving definitions and application standards for autonomous ships | — | W39 ‘26 | |
| Danish Maritime Authority | Registered first four Voyager unmanned surface vehicles under Danish flag | Denmark | W39 ‘26 | |
| Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority | issued navigational warning and coordinated rescue response | — | W39 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | implementation of 2026 MASS Code | — | W37 ‘26 | |
| Japan | granted approval for autonomous roro vessel | Japan | W36 ‘26 | |
| United States Coast Guard | approved autonomous vessel | United States | W35 ‘26 | |
| — | liability remains unclear during oil spills | — | W34 ‘26 | |
| — | briefing on autonomous vessel regulatory exemptions and second-half navigation zone plans | Busan | W31 ‘26 | |
| — | Secures US LNG bunkering vessel approval | United States | W30 ‘26 | |
| United States Navy | Exclusion from unmanned vessel program | United States | W29 ‘26 | |
| MASS Code | enters into force | — | W27 ‘26 | |
| Azerbaijan government | establish legal framework for operation of autonomous ships | Azerbaijan | W25 ‘26 | |
| Government | Bolster K-Shipbuilding Supply Chain | — | W22 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | MASS Code becoming mandatory | — | W22 ‘26 | |
| International Maritime Organization | adopts first global Code for autonomous ships | global | W21 ‘26 | +11 more |
| — | autonomous ship inspection passed | Japan | W18 ‘26 | |
| Singapore government | invites proposals on autonomous shipping | Singapore | W17 ‘26 | |
| Congress | Shapes future investment | United States | W17 ‘26 | |
| Australian Government | sets up maritime autonomous unit | Australia | W16 ‘26 | |
| Japan | key approvals for autonomous ship | Japan | W15 ‘26 | |
| DNV | approval for autonomous ship technology | — | W15 ‘26 | +3 more |
| ClassNK | awards world’s first MASS notation | — | W15 ‘26 | |
| ClassNK | Approves autonomous navigation system for container ship | — | W14 ‘26 | +2 more |
| ClassNK | Technology Qualification for autonomous ship perception capabilities | — | W14 ‘26 |
Who acts most
Actions tracked
56
Bodies
34
regulators and standards bodies
Jurisdictions
15
countries and regions