- International families
- 1,7082015 to 2024
- Leading country
- United States1.1× the next
- All families
- 8,230home filings included
- Over five years
- Steady2020 to 2024 against the five before
Year by year
Patent families by country of origin and the year of the earliest filing, 2000 to 2025; 2025 is a part year, still filling in. International families are those for which protection was sought beyond one country.
Volume
International patent families in the capability, by the year of the earliest filing.
Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google
Share by country
Each country's share of the year's international families, in per cent: the capability's five largest countries of origin, 2015 to 2024, and the rest of the world.
Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google
Country leaderboard
International patent families, 2015 to 2024, by country of origin. Growth compares the latest five full years with the five before.
Ten largest
United States
Germany
China
France
Japan
United Kingdom
Norway
South Korea
Italy
Netherlands
308
277
266
139
138
126
89
63
36
29
| 2000 to 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 308 | 18.0% | 0.8× | 632 | |
| 2 | Germany | 277 | 16.2% | 0.8× | 367 | |
| 3 | China | 266 | 15.6% | 2.0× | 4,717 | |
| 4 | France | 139 | 8.1% | 0.5× | 192 | |
| 5 | Japan | 138 | 8.1% | 0.8× | 313 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 126 | 7.4% | 1.6× | 164 | |
| 7 | Norway | 89 | 5.2% | 1.3× | 109 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 63 | 3.7% | 0.9× | 987 | |
| 9 | Italy | 36 | 2.1% | 0.8× | 50 | |
| 10 | Netherlands | 29 | 1.7% | 0.9× | 37 | |
| 11 | Australia | 26 | 1.5% | 1.9× | 35 | |
| 12 | Canada | 20 | 1.2% | 0.7× | 24 | |
| 13 | Türkiye | 20 | 1.2% | 19× | 41 | |
| 14 | Saudi Arabia | 18 | 1.1% | 0.1× | 20 | |
| 15 | Taiwan | 15 | 0.9% | 4.0× | 21 | |
| 16 | Brazil | 14 | 0.8% | 2.5× | 30 | |
| 17 | Switzerland | 13 | 0.8% | 0.6× | 18 | |
| 18 | Sweden | 11 | 0.6% | 1.2× | 13 | |
| 19 | Israel | 8 | 0.5% | 7.0× | 11 | |
| 20 | Finland | 7 | 0.4% | 0.8× | 7 | |
| 21 | India | 7 | 0.4% | 0.2× | 11 | |
| 22 | Denmark | 7 | 0.4% | 0.8× | 7 | |
| 23 | Hong Kong | 7 | 0.4% | 6.0× | 9 | |
| 24 | Portugal | 7 | 0.4% | 2.5× | 7 | |
| 25 | Singapore | 6 | 0.4% | 0.5× | 7 | |
| 26 | Poland | 6 | 0.4% | 2.0× | 24 | |
| 27 | New Zealand | 6 | 0.4% | 0.2× | 7 | |
| 28 | Spain | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3× | 14 | |
| 29 | Russia | 5 | 0.3% | 4.0× | 293 | |
| 30 | South Africa | 2 | 0.1% | – | 2 | |
| 31 | Austria | 1 | 0.1% | – | 2 | |
| 32 | Ireland | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0× | 1 | |
| 33 | Belgium | 0 | 0.0% | – | 1 | |
| 34 | Mexico | 0 | 0.0% | – | 3 |
Applicants
The largest applicants by international patent families, 2015 to 2024: across the world, then within each of the five countries with the most families in Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare. Names are as held in the source and are not consolidated across subsidiaries.
Global
1,708 international families
THYSSENKRUPP AG · Germany
THYSSENKRUPP MARINE SYS GMBH · Germany
ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH · Germany
NAVAL GROUP · France
BAE SYSTEMS PLC · United Kingdom
OCEANEERING INT INC · United States
178
108
74
58
45
29
United States
308 international families
OCEANEERING INT INC
RAYTHEON CO
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP
BOEING CO
MAGSEIS FF LLC
FAIRFIELD IND INC
29
24
12
11
8
7
Germany
277 international families
THYSSENKRUPP AG
THYSSENKRUPP MARINE SYS GMBH
ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH
TKMS GMBH
SIEMENS AG
TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH
177
108
74
27
17
16
China
266 international families
UNIV JIANGSU SCIENCE & TECH
UNIV ZHEJIANG
UNIV DALIAN TECH
UNIV GUANGZHOU
UNIV HARBIN ENG
SHENZHEN SEAUTO TECH CO LTD
19
12
10
9
7
6
France
139 international families
NAVAL GROUP
THALES SA
DCNS
IXBLUE
EXAIL
ECA ROBOTICS
58
24
20
11
9
7
Japan
138 international families
KAWASAKI HEAVY IND LTD
OCEANIC CONSTELLATIONS INC
NEC CORP
HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MARITIME PORT AND AVIATION TECH
24
11
9
6
5
5
Similar capabilities
The nine capabilities that share the most international patent families with Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare, 2015 to 2024: the families counted in both as a share of those counted in either. Each card shows its five largest countries.
Critical Technology
Uncrewed & Collaborative Systems
5.4% shared · 940 families in both
United States
Japan
China
South Korea
Germany
3,995
3,332
3,111
1,460
958
National Security
Sea Control
3.6% shared · 66 families in both
Germany
United States
United Kingdom
France
South Korea
37
32
31
25
13
Strategic Infrastructure
Seaports & Terminals
3.4% shared · 174 families in both
China
Japan
United States
France
South Korea
482
422
420
416
286
Critical Technology
Acoustic & Undersea Sensing
2.4% shared · 272 families in both
United States
Japan
Germany
China
South Korea
2,064
1,735
1,370
1,097
687
National Security
Long-Range Strike
1.4% shared · 36 families in both
United States
Germany
United Kingdom
France
Israel
278
159
88
77
44
National Security
Land Fires
1.4% shared · 44 families in both
United States
Germany
France
United Kingdom
South Korea
357
232
127
113
93
Strategic Infrastructure
Inland Waterways & Ferries
0.9% shared · 27 families in both
Japan
China
United States
South Korea
United Kingdom
324
216
161
124
46
Strategic Infrastructure
Military Bases & Installations
0.9% shared · 28 families in both
United States
Germany
South Korea
United Kingdom
Japan
353
218
111
100
84
National Security
Operational Sustainment & War Reserves
0.9% shared · 18 families in both
United States
Germany
France
United Kingdom
China
88
67
32
24
23
Crosswalk
How Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare is matched to the patent classifications. The entries below were chosen for it; each stands for itself and everything beneath it in the scheme, 85 Cooperative entries in all. A patent family counts when any of its codes, in either scheme and at any office, falls under one of them. Codes since retired are placed under the entries that replaced them.
| Entry | Title in the scheme | Why it is chosen | CPC codes | IPC codes | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B63G8/00 | Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor | Submarines and other underwater vessels, crewed and uncrewed | 34 | 24 | 57,330 |
| F42B19/00 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means | Marine torpedoes | 24 | 22 | 4,821 |
| F41F3/08 | Rocket or torpedo launchers for marine torpedoes | Torpedo launchers | 2 | 2 | 2,153 |
| F42B17/00 | Rocket torpedoes, i.e. missiles provided with separate propulsion means for movement through air and through water | Rocket torpedoes travelling through air and water | 1 | 1 | 407 |
| F42B22/00 | Marine mines, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines | Sea mines | 15 | 15 | 2,365 |
| B63G6/00 | Laying of mines or depth charges; Vessels characterised thereby | Laying of sea mines or depth charges | 1 | 1 | 190 |
| B63G7/00 | Mine-sweeping; Vessels characterised thereby | Mine-sweeping and mine destruction | 7 | 5 | 2,468 |
| F42B21/00 | Depth charges | Depth charges | 1 | 1 | 266 |
CPC and IPC codes are the codes in use on patent documents, at any office, that fall under the entry. Documents is the larger of the two schemes' counts of documents carrying one of them. An entry with no IPC codes can be told apart only in the Cooperative scheme.
The Cooperative codes in use that count towards Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare: 85 codes on 69,089 documents. The full crosswalk is in the cpc-to-capability.csv download.
| Code | Title | Under entry | How placed | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B63G8/001 | Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 10,526 |
| B63G8/08 | Propulsion | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 4,948 |
| B63G2008/004 | Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned autonomously operating | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 3,794 |
| B63G2008/002 | Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 3,473 |
| B63G8/22 | Adjustment of buoyancy by water ballasting; Emptying equipment for ballast tanks | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 3,194 |
| B63G8/00 | Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 2,956 |
| B63G8/14 | Control of attitude or depth | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 2,708 |
| B63G8/38 | Arrangement of visual or electronic watch equipment, e.g. of periscopes, of radar | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 2,451 |
| B63G2008/005 | Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned remotely controlled | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 2,355 |
| B63G8/16 | Control of attitude or depth by direct use of propellers or jets | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 2,016 |
| B63G8/42 | Towed underwater vessels | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,941 |
| B63G8/24 | Automatic depth adjustment; Safety equipment for increasing buoyancy, e.g. detachable ballast, floating bodies | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,906 |
| B63G2008/007 | Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned remotely controlled by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,782 |
| B63G8/39 | Arrangements of sonic watch equipment, e.g. low-frequency, sonar | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,638 |
| B63G2008/008 | Docking stations for unmanned underwater vessels, or the like | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,558 |
| F41F3/10 | Rocket or torpedo launchers for marine torpedoes from below the surface of the water | F41F3/08 | In the scheme | 1,410 |
| B63G8/18 | Control of attitude or depth by hydrofoils | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,187 |
| B63G8/40 | Rescue equipment for personnel | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 1,016 |
| B63G8/41 | Capsules, chambers, water-tight boats or the like, detachable from the submarine | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 953 |
| B63G8/32 | Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment of torpedo-launching means; of torpedo stores or handlers | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 907 |
| B63G7/02 | Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 893 |
| B63G8/36 | Adaptations of ventilation, e.g. schnorkels, cooling, heating, or air-conditioning | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 819 |
| B63G8/04 | Superstructure | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 805 |
| B63G8/26 | Trimming equipment | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 779 |
| B63G8/20 | Steering equipment | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 771 |
| F42B19/00 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 759 |
| F41F3/08 | Rocket or torpedo launchers for marine torpedoes | F41F3/08 | In the scheme | 743 |
| F42B19/01 | Steering control | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 735 |
| B63G8/34 | Camouflage | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 717 |
| B63G8/28 | Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 592 |
| F42B22/10 | Moored mines | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 430 |
| B63G7/04 | Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines by means of cables | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 367 |
| B63G7/06 | Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines of electromagnetic type | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 355 |
| F42B19/12 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 338 |
| F42B17/00 | Rocket torpedoes, i.e. missiles provided with separate propulsion means for movement through air and through water | F42B17/00 | In the scheme | 331 |
| F42B22/00 | Marine mines, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 309 |
| B63G2007/005 | Unmanned autonomously operating mine sweeping vessels | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 301 |
| B63G2008/425 | Towed underwater vessels for transporting cargo, e.g. submersible barges for fluid cargo | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 290 |
| F42B19/20 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by compressed-gas motors characterised by the composition of propulsive gas; Manufacture or heating thereof in torpedoes | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 286 |
| B63G8/30 | Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment of artillery or missile launching means | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 285 |
| F42B19/26 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by jet propulsion | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 270 |
| F42B21/00 | Depth charges | F42B21/00 | In the scheme | 266 |
| F42B22/04 | Influenced mines, e.g. by magnetic or acoustic effect | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 266 |
| B63G8/12 | Propulsion using internal-combustion engines | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 264 |
| B63G7/00 | Mine-sweeping; Vessels characterised thereby | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 250 |
| B63G7/08 | Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines of acoustic type | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 249 |
| B63G8/06 | Conning-towers | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 220 |
| F42B19/10 | Steering control remotely controlled, e.g. by sonic or radio control | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 209 |
| F42B19/125 | Torpedoes provided with drag-reducing means | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 206 |
| F42B19/24 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by electric motors | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 205 |
| F42B19/46 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be launched from aircraft | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 204 |
| F42B19/06 | Directional control | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 197 |
| F42B19/04 | Depth control | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 190 |
| B63G8/33 | Arrangement of offensive or defensive equipment of mine-laying means | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 179 |
| F42B22/08 | Drifting mines | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 174 |
| F42B19/005 | Nose caps for torpedoes; Coupling torpedo-case parts together | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 173 |
| B63G6/00 | Laying of mines or depth charges; Vessels characterised thereby | B63G6/00 | In the scheme | 172 |
| B63G8/10 | Propulsion using steam plant | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 155 |
| F42B22/24 | Arrangement of mines in fields or barriers | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 147 |
| F42B22/06 | Ground mines | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 133 |
| F42B22/16 | Moored mines at a variable depth setting using mechanical means, e.g. plummet and float | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 106 |
| F42B19/36 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 100 |
| B63G2008/406 | Submarine escape suits | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 98 |
| F42B22/02 | Contact mines, e.g. antenne-type mines | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 98 |
| F42B19/22 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by internal-combustion engines | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 86 |
| F42B19/18 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by compressed-gas motors of turbine type | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 78 |
| F42B22/18 | Moored mines at a variable depth setting using hydrostatic means | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 72 |
| F42B19/40 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course with means for causing torpedoes to surface at end of run by expelling liquid ballast | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 64 |
| F42B22/12 | Moored mines at a fixed depth setting | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 59 |
| B63G2007/065 | Mine-sweeping means, Means for destroying mines of electromagnetic type by making use of superconductivity | B63G7/00 | In the scheme | 53 |
| F42B22/42 | Marine mines, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines with anti-sweeping means, e.g. electrical | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 52 |
| F42B22/22 | Marine mines, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines having self-contained sinking means | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 50 |
| F42B19/14 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by compressed-gas motors | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 47 |
| F42B19/08 | Steering control with means for preventing rolling or pitching | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 45 |
| F42B19/38 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course with means for causing torpedoes to surface at end of run | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 45 |
| F42B22/44 | Marine mines, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines adapted to be launched from aircraft | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 39 |
| F42B19/30 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes with timing control of propulsion | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 38 |
| F42B19/28 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes with means for avoiding visible wake | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 37 |
| F42B19/44 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course with means for causing torpedoes to surface at end of run by enlarging displacement | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 33 |
| B63G2008/105 | Propulsion using steam plant using Walter-type plants, i.e. power plants in which steam is generated in a reactor vessel by reaction between a fuel and an oxidant, e.g. hydrogen peroxide | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 32 |
| F42B19/16 | Propulsion specially adapted for torpedoes by compressed-gas motors of cylinder type | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 29 |
| F42B19/42 | Marine torpedoes, e.g. launched by surface vessels or submarines; Sea mines having self-propulsion means adapted to be used for exercise purposes, e.g. indicating position or course with means for causing torpedoes to surface at end of run by releasing solid ballast | F42B19/00 | In the scheme | 25 |
| F42B22/14 | Moored mines at a variable depth setting | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 21 |
| B63G2008/403 | Docking rescue units | B63G8/00 | In the scheme | 15 |
| F42B22/20 | Moored mines at a variable depth setting using magnetic or acoustic depth-control means | F42B22/00 | In the scheme | 14 |