Autonomous underwater vehicle market seen hitting $6.63 billion by 2030

The autonomous underwater vehicles market is expected to expand from $2.9 billion in 2025 to $6.63 billion by 2030, driven by offshore energy work, ocean research and AI-enabled navigation. Asia-Pacific was the largest regional market in 2025, while the industry report highlights rising demand for longer-endurance, multi-mission systems.

Why it matters: - Autonomous underwater vehicles are moving from niche tools to core equipment for offshore energy, ocean research and infrastructure inspection. - The market’s projected growth points to wider use in deep-water work that is hard, costly or risky for human crews. - The report also signals continued demand for longer-endurance vehicles, which matters for missions that require extended time below the surface.

What happened: - The Business Research Company said the autonomous underwater vehicles market will grow from $2.9 billion in 2025 to $3.45 billion in 2026. - The firm projects the market will reach $6.63 billion by 2030. - The report forecasts a 19.1% CAGR in 2026 and a 17.7% CAGR through 2030. - Asia-Pacific was the largest autonomous underwater vehicles market in 2025. - The report covers Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - A free sample of the report is available at Download a free sample. - The full report is available at View the full report.

The details: - Autonomous underwater vehicles are unmanned, untethered and self-propelled systems used underwater with limited or no human control. - AUVs collect visual and environmental data beneath the sea surface. - The vehicles are also used for remote navigation, detection and mapping in marine-related fields, including oceanographic research. - Growth in 2025 and 2026 has been driven by oceanographic research, naval surveillance and mine detection. - Improvements in batteries and propulsion systems have extended operating endurance. - Demand from offshore oil and gas has increased because AUVs inspect wellheads, pipelines and other submerged infrastructure for damage and corrosion. - The report says offshore greenfield capital expenditure will exceed $100 billion in 2023, with $214 billion planned for new projects over the next two years, citing Rystad Energy data from March 2023. - The report links that to 16% expected growth in the offshore oil and gas industry during 2023 and 2024. - Investments are rising in multi-mission AUVs for environmental monitoring and deep-sea exploration. - AI is being added for navigation and real-time decision-making. - Commercial use is broadening into underwater infrastructure inspection and pipeline monitoring. - Modular and reconfigurable platforms are gaining traction because they can adapt to different missions. - Demand is also rising for long-endurance, multi-hull vehicles for complex deep-water operations. - Key trends include improved underwater navigation, autonomous mission planning, advanced imaging and mapping, multiple sensor payloads, and better battery life.

Between the lines: - The report suggests the market is shifting from single-purpose systems to flexible platforms that can serve defense, energy and industrial inspection markets. - AI and modularity stand out as the main differentiators because they improve autonomy and reduce the need for specialized hardware for each mission. - Offshore oil and gas remains a major demand anchor, but environmental monitoring and infrastructure inspection could broaden the customer base over time.

What’s next: - The report expects continued investment in deeper, longer and more adaptable AUV systems through 2030. - Market competition is likely to focus on endurance, sensor integration, navigation accuracy and mission flexibility. - The Business Research Company says its 2026 reports now include market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrix graphics and tables, Excel-based forecasting dashboards, market hotspots infographics, and key technology and future trend analysis. - The company also says it offers 17,500+ reports across 27 industries and 60+ geographies, supported by 1,500,000 datasets and its Global Market Model platform.