While the advent of full autonomy in the maritime space is still a generation or more in the future, companies like Alewijnse are determined to take step changes toward increased automation, and in fact claim that "autonomous sailing is coming soon."Alewijnse is a key player in the Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology (F.A.S.T.) project, an initiative designed to revolutionize ship automation.
Damen Shipyards Group has announced a contract with the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) for the delivery of two ASD Tugs 3212. The contract was announced at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) 2026 in Qatar.The order follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Damen and the QENF at the previous DIMDEX event in 2024