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Oshen C-Star

2025 UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLE MARITIME SURVEILLANCE DRONE TECHNOLOGY

History

The Oshen C-Star is a small British uncrewed surface vehicle developed for persistent ocean data collection. The approximately 1.2 m craft uses wind propulsion, solar-powered sensors and satellite communications, while electric motor thrusters can assist positioning.

C-Stars can operate individually or in groups to collect environmental and maritime data over wide areas. The platform has been used for weather and climate observations and has also been tested for defence-related sensing, including passive acoustic monitoring and surveillance of critical underwater infrastructure.

In August 2026, two C-Stars were autonomously deployed at sea from ZeroUSV's larger Oceanus12 uncrewed surface vessel during trials in Plymouth, England. The demonstration formed part of a UK defence innovation programme involving ZeroUSV, Oshen and MarineAI.

2025 hurricane research

On 31 August 2025, NOAA, the University of Southern Mississippi and Oshen deployed five C-Stars off the U.S. Virgin Islands for experimental hurricane observations. Two additional vehicles were held in Gulfport, Mississippi, for possible deployment ahead of developing storms. According to NOAA Research, the vehicles transmitted near-real-time atmospheric and ocean data by satellite while Oshen mission specialists worked with NOAA scientists to position them ahead of hurricanes.

On 28 September 2025, three C-Stars collected data from Hurricane Humberto. One vehicle entered the eyewall while the hurricane was rated Category 5, becoming the first uncrewed surface vehicle reported by NOAA to capture and transmit data from inside a Category 5 hurricane. The craft recorded a minimum air pressure of 955 millibars and gusts above 150 mph. NOAA reported that the measurements were transmitted in near real time and were referenced by the National Hurricane Center. Details of the mission were published by NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Production expansion

By August 2026, Oshen was increasing C-Star production. A report from Turnchapel Wharf stated that 15 new C-Stars had been built and deployed from the company's base there over a six-week period. Another report said the company had moved from taking three years to build its first 15 vehicles to producing 15 every six weeks, with 100 more on order.

Oshen described the C-Star as a platform intended for deployment in constellations. Vehicles can spread across large areas for persistent sensing or converge on an area of interest. By August 2026, the longest reported individual C-Star mission had lasted eight months at sea.

Oceanus12 deployment trial

During trials in Plymouth in August 2026, ZeroUSV's 12 m Oceanus12 uncrewed surface vessel autonomously deployed two Oshen C-Stars. The trial integrated the Oceanus12 platform, C-Star vehicles and MarineAI's Guardian autonomy software as part of a UK defence innovation programme.

For this trial, the C-Stars were configured to collect acoustic data. The programme was intended to demonstrate distributed autonomous sensing and coordinated operation between multiple uncrewed vessels. EDR Magazine reported that a planned next phase would involve Oceanus12 autonomously deploying four C-Star vehicles simultaneously.

Design

Hull and deployment

The C-Star is approximately 1.2 m long and has a fiberglass hull. Its compact dimensions allow a single person to handle and deploy the vehicle from a boat. This small size also permits multiple vehicles to be transported and deployed as a distributed group.

Propulsion and energy

The C-Star primarily uses wind for propulsion. Solar power supplies its onboard sensors, while electric motor thrusters can improve positioning when wind is weak or when the vehicle must maneuver toward a target area such as the projected path of a hurricane.

Sensors and communications

Sensor fit depends on the mission. During NOAA's 2025 hurricane programme, C-Stars measured wind speed and direction, sea-surface temperature, air temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. The vehicles transmitted real-time data by satellite and also carried imaging equipment. NOAA reported that the hurricane-observation C-Stars transmitted data every two minutes.

For the 2026 Oceanus12 trial, the C-Star was configured for acoustic data collection. Other reported applications include environmental monitoring, maritime security, shallow-water survey, monitoring of critical underwater infrastructure and distributed passive acoustic sensing.

Operational history

C-Stars have been used in the United States and Europe for ocean weather, climate and marine-mammal observation. NOAA operated seven vehicles with Oshen and the University of Southern Mississippi during the 2025 hurricane season, including the vehicles that entered Hurricane Humberto.

Oshen has also worked with the U.S. Navy's Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to integrate Navy-selected sensors for shallow-water survey. In the United Kingdom, C-Stars have been tested in a defence programme with ZeroUSV and MarineAI as a distributed passive acoustic network.

By August 2026, Oshen reported that C-Star constellations had operated across six countries. A separate project was preparing a 50-vehicle constellation for deployment in the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre for ocean observation.