Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has debuted AutoHook, a fully autonomous vessel recovery interface developed by Norway-based subsidiary Vestdavit.
The debut took place during the 2026 edition of Euronaval, an international naval defence and maritime security event in Paris.
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According to the company, AutoHook is designed to enable launch and recovery of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) without requiring human intervention, marking a departure from current systems which, the company states, typically struggle in challenging sea conditions.
The system was developed with fleet interoperability in mind, supporting allied naval operations and facilitating integration with both existing and future assets.
FMD says AutoHook was proven during trials to achieve operational acceptance at Sea State 4, surpassing the limits of standard autonomous launch and recovery solutions, which it claims are typically restricted to Sea State 2.
FMD Davits managing director Rolf Andreas Wigand said, “AutoHook not only supports fleet modernisation, it breaks the Sea State 2 ceiling that has long constrained manual launch and recovery.
“By standardising crewed and uncrewed asset handling across partner nations, we are enabling true interoperability and acting as a force multiplier for allied maritime operations.”
AutoHook’s compact design enables installation without significant modifications to existing vessels.
Unlike some legacy systems, the AutoHook clamp-on-davit wire unit employs its own integrated thrusters, onboard control, vision, and power in a single unit.
FMD stated that this feature minimises installation costs and downtime for fleets adapting to autonomous technologies.
The system’s operation requires neither winches nor davit upgrades, and its vision system autonomously tracks vessels in real time, according to the company.
This approach, according to the company, mitigates the reliance on manual operator control prevalent in other recovery systems.
“This system helps us ensure maritime professionals can execute their missions with unparalleled safety, reliability and interoperability in challenging operational environments,” Wigand said.
FMD and Vestdavit are presenting AutoHook and related technologies at Booth G56 during Euronaval 2026.
