i-law

Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly

CAN A REMOTELY-OPERATED UNDERWATER VEHICLE (ROV) BE ARRESTED?

Luci Carey*

The Seaeye Leopard
The development of autonomous and unmanned ships raises complex questions as to how maritime law and admiralty jurisdiction apply to such vehicles. The fundamental issue whether an unmanned, remotely-operated underwater vehicle (“ROV”) is a “ship”, and thus allowed to be arrested in an admiralty action in rem, was recently considered by the Australian Federal Court in Guardian Offshore AU Pty Ltd v Saab Seaeye Leopard 1702 Remotely Operated Vehicle Lately on Board the Ship Offshore Guardian (The Seaeye Leopard).1 The court held that this particular ROV was not a ship for the purpose of the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth) and set aside its arrest warrant.2

Facts

Ford Commercial Diving Solutions Pty Ltd (“FCDS”) possessed two ROVs3 used for subsea surveying, inspection, repair and maintenance of subsea pipelines. A launch and recovery system (LARS) lowers the ROV into the water from the main vessel. Once the ROV is at the desired depth, it remains tethered while a pilot on board the main vessel manoeuvres it away from the LARS.

554

The rest of this document is only available to i-law.com online subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, click Log In button.

Copyright © 2024 Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited. Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited is registered in England and Wales with company number 13831625 and address 5th Floor, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD, United Kingdom. Lloyd's List Intelligence is a trading name of Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited.

Lloyd's is the registered trademark of the Society Incorporated by the Lloyd's Act 1871 by the name of Lloyd's.