# Development of autonomous marine drone technology > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/development-of-autonomous-marine-drone-technology > Updated: 2026-10-25T07:00:00.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. Efforts to develop autonomous unmanned marine vehicles are progressing through both government programs and private sector innovation. In France, the French Navy and the French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) have selected three industrial teams—SeaOwl, the Orcas group led by SEAir, and a consortium of Sirehna, Couach, and Naval Group—to advance the DANAE programme. This initiative aims to develop armed unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for port protection and ship escorting. The selected teams have approximately one year to develop prototypes, with a final selection for production expected by the end of 2027. Concurrently, the Swedish company Nautrik has launched the Riverine 4, an autonomous drone designed for both military and civilian use. The vessel utilizes artificial intelligence to allow multiple drones to operate as a unified group. While it has potential applications for patrolling coastlines and strategic waterways, the technology is also intended for civilian tasks such as monitoring oil pipelines and transporting supplies. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-25: Nautrik develops autonomous marine drones for defense and civilian use Swedish defense firm Nautrik has introduced the Riverine 4, an AI-driven autonomous marine drone designed for military patrolling and civilian tasks like pipeline monitoring. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nautrik-develops-autonomous-marine-drones-for-defense-and-civilian-use ### 2026-10-12: French Navy selects three teams for armed drone programme The French Navy has selected three industrial teams—SeaOwl, SEAir's Orcas group, and a Naval Group consortium—to develop armed unmanned surface vehicle prototypes under the DANAE programme. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-navy-selects-partners-for-autonomous-surface-drone-project --- Cite as: Development of autonomous marine drone technology. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/development-of-autonomous-marine-drone-technology