Baltic Workboats lays keel for EUROGUARD USV

A 3D rendering of the prototype design for the EUROGUARD USV. (Baltic Workboats AS)

Estonian shipbuilder Baltic Workboats laid the keel for a new modular semi-autonomous surface vessel at its shipyard in Nasva, Estonia, on 27 May.

The vessel is being developed under the European goal-based multimission autonomous naval reference platform development (EUROGUARD) initiative, which involves a consortium of 23 companies and research institutes from 10 European Union (EU) member states.

Under the project arrangement, Baltic Workboats is leading the industry consortium, while the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) will oversee the co-operation of the member states.

The initiative aims to develop a demonstrator unmanned surface vessel (USV) integrated with innovative EU technologies, capable of performing a wide range of autonomous missions in European coastal waters.

Launched at the end of 2023, the project will run for 48 months and is being divided into three phases, including the development of a new vessel architecture, creating the physical prototype of the vessel, and the development of a data-centric autonomous ship architecture.

Speaking to Janes , a Baltic Workboats spokesperson confirmed that the project remains on track, with the prototype scheduled to be launched in October 2026. This will be followed by demonstration events planned for 2027, with the programme expected to be completed by November that year, he said.

Baltic Workboats is responsible for building the prototype at its Nasva facilities, and sea trials will also be conducted in Estonian waters in collaboration with the Estonian Navy. Operational tests of the vessel will be conducted in a real-world environment using a shore-based control station to be developed by Navantia.