Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Market

Market Overview:

The global autonomous underwater vehicle market size reached USD 2.2 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 11.6 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 19.57% during 2025-2033.

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a self-propelled, untethered, and submersible vehicle that performs underwater pre-programmed missions without human supervision. It helps collect a large amount of visual seawater data, depending on the sensors installed. It is used for remote navigation, detection, and mapping for numerous marine-based applications, which include collision avoidance, marine exploration, communication, imaging, and archaeological research. Besides this, it performs deep-water activities even in unfavorable climatic conditions as AUV is independent of surface vessels. As a result, it finds extensive applications in oceanography, scientific research, environmental protection, and archaeological exploration.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Market Trends:

The rising need for deep-sea exploration in oceanography represents one of the key factors catalyzing the demand for AUVs across the globe. In addition, the burgeoning oil and gas industry is resulting in the growing adoption of AUVs for offshore field explorations, monitoring of subsea pipelines, deep-water drilling applications, and installation of new infrastructure. Apart from this, the increasing border and coastal security concerns are driving the demand for AUVs for surveillance missions in the military and defense sectors. Furthermore, continuous development and advancement of technology in terms of design and software components are strengthening the market growth. Incorporating advanced technologies in AUVs, such as the integration of connectivity-temperature-depth (CTD) and biogeochemical sensors, is creating a positive market outlook. Additionally, governments of various countries are continuously investing in unmanned sea exploration technologies to strengthen border security, which is providing a thrust to market growth. Moreover, the increasing utilization of AUVs in the aquaculture industry for monitoring water turbidity, conductivity, and temperature and observing fish behavior is supporting the market growth.

Key Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the global autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country levels from 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on type, technology, payload type, shape, and application.

Breakup by Type:

• Shallow AUVs (depth <100 M)
• Medium AUVs (depth 100 M to 1000 M)
• Large AUVs (depth >1000 M)

Based on the type, the market has been segmented into shallow (depth <100 M), medium (depth 100 M to 1000 M), and large AUVs (depth >1000 M).

Breakup by Technology:

• Communication Systems
  • Acoustic Communication Systems
  • Satellite Communication Systems
• Navigation Systems
  •  Inertial Navigation Systems
  •  Acoustic Navigation Systems
  •  Geophysical Navigation Systems
  •  Dead Reckoning Navigation Systems
  •  Others
• Propulsion Systems
  • Fin Control Actuators
  • Propulsion Motors
  • Pump Motors
  • Linear Electromechanical Actuators
  • Battery Modules
• Imaging Systems
  • Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) Imagers
  • Multibeam Echo Sounders (MBES)
  • Sub-Bottom Profilers (SBPS)
  • LED Lighting
• Collision Avoidance Systems

Based on the technology, the market has been classified into communication systems (acoustic communication systems and satellite communication systems); navigation systems (inertial navigation systems, acoustic navigation systems, geophysical navigation systems, dead reckoning navigation systems, and others); propulsion systems (fin control actuators, propulsion motors, pump motors, linear electromechanical actuators, and battery modules); imaging systems [side-scan sonar (SSS) Imagers, multibeam echo sounders (MBES), sub-bottom profilers (SBPS), and LED Lighting]; and collision avoidance systems.

Breakup by Payload Type:

• Cameras
  • High Resolution Digital Still Cameras
  • Dual-Eye Cameras
•  Sensors
  • CTD Sensors
  • Biogeochemical Sensors
• Synthetic Aperture Sonars
•  Echo Sounders
•  Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers
•  Others

Based on the payload type, the market has been segregated into cameras (high resolution digital still cameras and dual-eye), sensors (CTD and biogeochemical), synthetic aperture sonars, echo sounders, acoustic doppler current profilers, and others.

Breakup by Shape:

• Torpedo
• Laminar Flow Body
• Streamlined Rectangular Style
• Multi-Hull Vehicle

Based on the shape, the market has been divided into torpedo, laminar flow body, streamlined rectangular style, and multi-hull vehicles.

Breakup by Application:

• Military & Defence
• Oil & Gas
• Environmental Protection and Monitoring
• Oceanography
• Archaeology and Exploration
• Search and Salvage Operations
• Others

Based on the application, the market has been segmented into military and defense, oil and gas, environmental protection and monitoring, oceanography, archaeology and exploration, search and salvage operations, and others.

Breakup by Region:

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Others
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Others
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Others
• Middle East and Africa

On the geographical front, the market has been divided into North America (the United States and Canada); Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and others); Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, and others); Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and others); and Middle East and Africa.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined with some of the key players being Atlas Elektronik GmbH, BAE Systems PLC, Boston Engineering Corporation, ECA Group, Fugro, General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc. (General Dynamics Corporation), Hydromea SA, International Submarine Engineering Ltd, Kongsberg Maritime (Kongsberg Gruppen ASA), L3Harris OceanServer, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Saab AB, The Boeing Company and Teledyne Marine (Teledyne Technologies Inc).

Report Coverage: