US Navy certifies Rolls-Royce engines for autonomous ships

The US Navy has certified Rolls-Royce mtu Series 4000 and Series 2000 marine engines for autonomous vessels capable of missions lasting up to 30 days without maintenance. The Series 4000 passed two 720-hour durability trials, while the Series 2000 qualified through component testing and thousands of operating hours. Approval addresses reliability, controls, cybersecurity and safety requirements for propulsion without onboard technicians, supporting an expanding uncrewed surface fleet. Certification makes the engines eligible for relevant naval applications but does not identify a new vessel order, installation quantity, contract value or fleetwide deployment schedule.