Blue Water Autonomy unveiled its first vessel, the Liberty-class, during WEST 2026 in San Diego. The autonomous vessel design draws on successful Axe Bow hull and targets first vessel completion and serial production for the U.S. Navy this year. Naval News’ US contributor talked to Ryan Maatta, Head of Marine Engineering, to find out more about this new unmanned surface vessel (USV).=====================Liberty is a 190-foot steel autonomous ship with a range of over 10,000 nautical miles and over 150 metric tons of payload capacity. The autonomous surface vessel was designed in partnership with Damen, with construction beginning at Conrad Shipyard in March 2026. The first vessel is expected to be completed for the U.S. Navy later this year under a program of record.As the U.S. Navy drives to expand fleet capacity, accelerating the deployment of unmanned systems that complement traditional crewed ships has become a critical effort. Liberty’s design supports a range of missions, including missile, sensor, and logistics payloads, and offers the Navy a ship immediately producible with existing U.S. shipyards and commercial supply chains.