The Legal Status of USV for Military Use

The Legal Status of USV for Military Use

According to United Nations Convention on the  Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) , a “warship” is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. The point that military USVs most significantly differ from warships is that military USVs do not meet the term "under the command of an officer duly commissioned by the government of  the State".  However,  it is  undeniable when  USV  is equipped  with weapons,  or the  exterior is painted with iconic paint according to its own military service, and the naval flag or the national flag is hoisted and equipped with various electronic equipment for combat purposes, the USV is obviously different from civil or other  commercial vessels. The author believes that the military USV's legal status should lie  between civilian vessels and military vessels.  Therefore, according to the general provisions of  various countries  in the world, when  a civilian vessel encounters a  military USV, it obeys  the  directive  issued  by  military  USV  and  salutes  military  USV.  When  a  military  USV encounters a higher-ranking military vessel, it shall whistle according to the requirements of the Navy, meanwhile, obeys and enforces the directives issued by its own military ship. According to the main work contents of cruising on the water, official USV is absolutely feasible to carry out  the basic cruise work in  water in the  future. USVs carrying out  their duties  as business vessels must have distinctive lacquered signs not the same as for warships and civilian vessels in order to  clearly  differentiate  the  identity  of  USVs  as  official  vessels.  Civilian  vessels  should  actively cooperate with the official USV's inspection work and strictly observe the handling measures issued by  the  USV.  The  law  enforcement  of  the  USV  should  maintain  the  legal  effect  equal  to  the enforcement of official vessels. Of course, business vessels can still dominate and govern the USV to perform a specific job.