Uncrewed maritime systems, like this small boat, were developed to be used with NOAA’s new charting and mapping vessels, and will complement traditional seafloor mapping methods. (Image credit: Chance Maritime Technologies) NOAA has announced a $21,600,909 award for the purchase of uncrewed marine systems to be used on new charting and mapping vessels being built for the agency. This will support NOAA’s mission to deliver tools and information to help mariners safely transport the $2.3 trillion worth of cargo that comes in and out of the nation’s ports and harbors. The contract was awarded to Chance Maritime Technologies, LLC., from Lafayette, Louisiana, for up to eight total systems over five years. The new systems offer a spectrum of command and control options. These include direct operator control, supervised control with semi-autonomous capabilities like collision avoidance and dynamic course tracking, and, for certain circumstances, fully autonomous operations.…