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Definitions for Level of Control (LoC) are shown at Table 1-4 and should be considered alongside the Degrees of<br />

Autonomy in Table 1-2. In practice, levels of control may be different for different functions aboard the same MASS (e.g.<br />

a MASS navigating under LoC4, may also deploy a payload that is controlled at LoC2). The LoC applied to the MASS<br />

may also change during a voyage (e.g. LoC 1 in a VTS, but LoC 4 in open ocean passage).<br />

“Maritime Autonomous Systems (MAS)” general term is used to refer to systems of a remotely operated, semiautonomous,<br />

or autonomous nature.<br />

“MoD Maritime Levels of Automation” – the following Levels of Automation are proposed by the Royal Navy to<br />

categorise maritime air, surface and underwater automated systems, whilst allowing the manning state to be decoupled<br />

from the complexity of automation in use. The Automation State and Oversight Condition are specified in tandem to<br />

describe the current system state (e.g. Automation Level 4D).<br />

Table 1-5: MoD Maritime Levels of Automation<br />

Automation<br />

State<br />

Description<br />

Oversight<br />

Condition<br />

Description<br />

1 – None<br />

There is no automation in use. All<br />

activity is under the direct control<br />

of an operator. MAS will generally<br />

not fall into this category, but the<br />

operator may decide to revert to<br />

this state when in Oversight<br />

Condition B or C, such as for<br />

safety or tactical reasons.<br />

A – On-board<br />

control<br />

The MAS is controlled by onboard<br />

operators.<br />

2 – Follow tasks<br />

(directed)<br />

The MAS employs rudimentary<br />

automation which is not “selfdirected”,<br />

but instead requires<br />

operator command and control.<br />

This includes basic activity such<br />

as maintaining a course or following<br />

a track, with little or no regard<br />

to the operating environment.<br />

B – Off-board,<br />

Close Control<br />

Close Control: A form of Mission<br />

Control in which the MAS is<br />

continuously controlled, for<br />

example in speed and heading,<br />

in order for the mission to be<br />

accomplished. Supervision by<br />

the operator is continuous in this<br />

Oversight Condition.<br />

3 – Seek goals<br />

(delegated)<br />

The MAS conducts largely preprogrammed<br />

missions, employing<br />

automation to seek defined goals,<br />

for example: surveying an area,<br />

intercepting a target, or safely<br />

navigating to a location.<br />

C – Off-board,<br />

Loose Control<br />

Loose Control: A form of Mission<br />

Control in which the MAS<br />

determines its own actions, e.g.<br />

speed, heading and the appropriate<br />

tactics required to accomplish the<br />

assigned task. Supervision may<br />

be intermittent in this Oversight<br />

Condition, and one operator may<br />

supervise multiple systems.<br />

4 – Plan,<br />

execute<br />

and exploit<br />

(autonomous)<br />

The MAS can sense the<br />

environment, identify possible<br />

activity, decide and act in order to<br />

achieve the operator’s specified<br />

intent. Depending on the capabilities<br />

of the system, the MAS can<br />

also determine follow-on actions<br />

without recourse to the operator<br />

in order to exploit the situation,<br />

such as shadowing and reporting<br />

a located vessel of interest or<br />

conducting clearance of detected<br />

mine-like objects.<br />

D – None<br />

The MAS is operating without<br />

operator supervision.<br />

MASS UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice Version 7<br />

21

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