Ryan Maatta, Marine Engineer Manager at SERCO and Deputy Program Manager for DARPA’s NOMARS program, shares the latest on the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program at SNA 2025. =====================The DARPA NOMARS program recently completed a successful first test of at-sea refueling designed for use with the program’s Defiant unmanned surface vessel (USV).NOMARS USV Defiant will implement the technology on the finished vessel in spring 2025.The USV Defiant is intended to operate autonomously for long durations at sea and is designed from the ground up with no provision, allowance, or expectation for humans on board. US Navy PMS-406 (the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office) and USV Squadron 1 (USVRON-1) conducted the test in partnership, using two of the PMS-406 experimental USVs: Ranger and Mariner.The next FAS test will take place with NOMARS USV Defiant during her sea trials period. Defiant is a 180’, 240-metric-ton lightship currently nearing completion of construction and is scheduled to depart for her multi-month at sea demonstration in spring 2025.Launched by DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office in 2020, NOMARS has been established to build and demonstrate a medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) that can go to sea and perform missions with unprecedented reliability and availability, while also carrying a significant payload. The intention is that the NOMARS vessel and sub-systems should be able to operate for missions lasting many months at a time with no manned interventions between yearly maintenance cycles.=====================