A U.S. Navy drone task force picked up two downed pilots using a Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessel (USV) yesterday in Middle Eastern waters during a first of its kind rescue mission. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, two Army pilots patrolling regional waters near Oman were rescued after their AH-64 attack helicopter ...
The post Saronic USV Rescues Two U.S. Army Pilots Downed…
The Pentagon is looking to procure dozens of unmanned surface vessels (USV) to deliver to support U.S. Army logistics operations under contested environments in the Indo-Pacific. According to a release from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) last month, the Defense Department wants to bolster the ground branch’s maritime logistics arm and greatly increase the fleet’s ...
The post Pentagon Eyes…
During the International Defence Equipment and Services Exhibition HEMUS 2026, held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 3–6 June 2026, Bulgarian shipbuilder MTG-Dolphin unveiled its Proteus 36 MLC concept, a 37-metre Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV). MTG-Dolphin press release PLOVDIV, BULGARIA – 3 June 2026 – The european shipbuilder MTG-Dolphin today officially presented its Proteus 36 MLC ...
The…
On June 1, 2026, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that the ROMULUS medium unmanned surface vessel started sea trials. HII press release Statement by Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, on the U.S. Navy’s selection of HII’s ROMULUS Unmanned Surface Vessel to advance to the at-sea testing ...
The post HII’s ROMULUS USV…
The U.S. Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program selected 7 separate designs to advance towards at sea testing, with further scaling following suit as a part of the several billion dollar initiative to regain the U.S. Navy’s mass. The 7 companies selected by the Navy include, Sea Machines, Leidos, Saronic Technologies, Galliano Marine Services, ...
The post U.S. Navy Selects 7…
Saronic today announced the launch of its first Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV), designed to deliver dual-use autonomous capability far from shore across the full range of defense and commercial applications. Saronic press release The first Marauder hull moved from initial design to on-water trials in under a year, a pace not seen in ...
The post Saronic Launches First Marauder…
Québec-based Davie and UK-based Kraken Technology Group (Kraken) announced a strategic collaboration to establish Canadian production, integration and development of Kraken’s market-leading autonomous solutions. Davie press release Davie will provide Canadian capacity and capability to produce, integrate and develop Kraken’s advanced uncrewed surface vessels, and next-generation autonomous…
HII showcased its role as America’s largest military shipbuilder and a global leader in autonomous unmanned maritime systems at the Combined Naval Event (CNE) 2026, which took place May 19–21 at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre in the United Kingdom. HII press release At CNE 2026, HII features exhibits and executive presentations highlighting the company’s ...
The post HII…
Australian company Hyperion Systems has revealed a compact uncrewed surface drone dubbed the Astra 460, featuring a 3D-printed hull at this week’s Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference (IODS) 2026 in Perth, Western Australia. Hyperion specialises in additive manufacturing, also called 3D printing, in conjunction with portable robotics for civilian and military applications. In this…
BlackSea Technologies recently participated in Arctic Sentry 2026, a NATO enhanced vigilance activity in the High North, demonstrating its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) in Ramsund, Norway, alongside partners from U.S. 6th Fleet, U.S. Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3 (USVRON-3) and the Royal Norwegian Navy. BlackSea Technologies press release The exercise gave BlackSea’s GARC…
Shield AI and Thunder Tiger Corp. announced a memorandum of understanding to integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software across Thunder Tiger’s unmanned systems portfolio, beginning with unmanned surface vessels (USV). As a first milestone, Hivemind will serve as the AI pilot on a Thunder Tiger USV, with a live demonstration planned for this summer. This ...
The post Shield AI expands…
HII, in partnership with MetalCraft Marine, has delivered and sea tested two ROMULUS-25 unmanned surface vessels (USV) awarded in a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract for smaller form factor autonomous boat prototypes for the U.S. Marine Corps. HII press release The two ROMULUS-25 autonomous USVs were delivered in December 2025 and supported successful testing and ...
The post HII,…
USVs are emerging as modular force elements when sending a large combatant ship is too costly or disproportionate.
SubSea Craft announced a major evolution of the MARS Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) as part of the company’s growing technology portfolio. SubSea Craft press release This development reflects SubSea Craft’s continuous improvement approach, informed by extensive testing and operator collaboration to ensure that the system remains aligned with operational requirements. This approach prioritises the…
The DANAE (for Drone Autonome Naval avec de l’Armement Embarqué or Autonomous Naval Drone with Onboard Armament) project aims to rapidly equip the French Navy with armed Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV). In a first stage, the Marine Nationale expects these drone boats to conduct naval bases protection missions with non-lethal effectors. In a second and ...
The post DANAE project: A fleet of Armed…
Naval News had the opportunity to interview Todd Greene, Director of Advanced Technologies at BlackSea Technologies, about their Comet and Chaser unmanned surface vehicles (USV), with initial production articles on display at Sea Air Space 2026. Comet is BlackSea’s larger USV, standing at roughly 13.1 meters (~42ft 11in) in length with maximum payload of 10,000 ...
The post Video: New Comet and…
Greek fishermen discovered a suspected Ukrainian unmanned surface vessel (USV) hidden inside a sea cave off Lefkada island. The vessel was recovered by the Hellenic Coast Guard amid reports it may have carried explosives. Authorities are investigating its origin and possible links to recent maritime attacks in the Mediterranean. Greek fishermen operating in the Ionian ...
The post Mystery USV…
Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC) announced that its T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel (USV) has completed a record-setting 8-day, completely autonomous mission off the coast of California, demonstrating a level of endurance, reliability and operational control not previously achieved in its class. MARTAC press release The USV, owned and operated by Naval Air Warfare ...
The post…
STM has unveiled its next-generation Kamikaze Unmanned Surface Vehicle, the STM YAKTU KUSV, at SAHA 2026. Designed to redefine naval warfare with high-speed performance, a low-profile silhouette, and swarm operational capabilities, the KUSV marks a significant leap in maritime defense technology. STM press release STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş., a leading Turkish defence…
As maritime operations shift toward distributed, network-centric and increasingly asymmetric engagements, unmanned systems are emerging as a defining element of naval power. From littoral zones to critical infrastructure protection, navies are seeking scalable, cost-effective capabilities that can extend reach, reduce risk to personnel and operate effectively in contested environments. Sponsored…
Two naval vessels and three aerial systems, all from Turkish firms, were shown to the public on the first day of the Turkish exposition.
The UK’s outfitting of its Bay-class auxiliary vessel RFA Lyme Bay as a naval mine warfare (NMW) ‘mothership’ carrying uncrewed systems for the mine-hunting role illustrates how the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) ‘hybrid navy’ approach can provide flexibility to respond to events like the current Middle East crisis, the UK’s navy chief told a conference in ...
The post Lyme Bay MCM Uncrewed Systems Fit…
Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, announced a contract award from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to produce and deliver multiple TSUNAMI Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), which will be used to support the U.S. Navy Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) exercise in Key West, Florida and provide three months of joint operations with SOUTHCOM and the U.S. ...
The post Textron awarded…
The U.S. Navy practiced at-sea refueling of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) during a recent demonstration ahead of the service’s planned deployment of the sea drones with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group later this year. Occurring off Southern California, the oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) recently conducted an astern replenishment-at-sea of the Medium Unmanned ...
The post U.S.…
Invariant Corporation’s Surface-to-Air Kinetic Engagement (STAKE) system has once again demonstrated a significant advancement in autonomous maritime Counter Unmanned Systems (C-UxS) capabilities. Invariant Corporation press release Earlier this month, STAKE was integrated onto a Textron Systems’ TSUNAMI Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) and performed early integration testing at Lake Guntersville.…
Defense technology giant Anduril Industries and autonomous maritime technology company Kraken Technology Group announced their partnership at the Sea-Air-Space Expo to support the US Navy’s transition to a hybrid fleet. Kraken Technology press release Through this agreement the companies are positioned to rapidly develop and deliver a capable, scalable, and mission-ready unmanned fleet. The…
Leonardo DRS announced that it has successfully integrated its Maritime Mission Equipment Package (M-MEP) on an autonomous unmanned surface vessel (AUSV), delivering a new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capability designed to detect, track, identify, and defeat aerial unmanned threats operating in the maritime domain. Leonardo press release Built for rapid integration on crewed and…
HII, America’s largest military shipbuilder and global leader in autonomous maritime systems, announced today plans for the production of four ROMULUS 151 vessels to be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana in addition to the ROMULUS 151 currently under construction. HII press release The announcement signals a rapid shift toward initial production, as HII ...
The post HII…
The new Spectre unmanned surface vessel (USV) is saildrone’s largest offering yet, standing in at 52 meters (~170 feet) in length, enabling the carriage of a multitude of payloads matching different mission sets. The Medium-size USV was unveiled today at Sea Air Space 2026. NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Long lead time materials for the first ...
The post Saildrone Unveils new Spectre USV at Sea Air…
Series production of the Kraken K3 Scout has begun at Rheinmetall’s Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg. With the market-ready unmanned surface vessel (USV), Rheinmetall’s new Naval Systems division—together with its British joint venture partner Kraken Technology Group—offers a surface platform for both military and civilian applications. Rheinmetall press release Depending on the configuration, the…