Sufficiency of existing legal frameworks for addressing maritime security challenges surrounding autonomous vessels
Lieutenant Commander Simon Lindsay, RAN
This article was first published in the Australian Naval Review, 2020, Issue 2, in December 2020.
Introduction
Autonomous vessels are potential ‘game changers’ in a way not seen since vessels were fitted with engines.[1] Far from being a remote possibility, they are already here.[2] Recent years have seen rapid advancement in the design, development and construction, and the use of unmanned autonomous and semiautonomous vehicle technology;[3]so much so their use in the military and civilian contexts is becoming ubiquitous.[4]