USNI News – Seven companies have been identified by the Navy as supporting the first round of medium unmanned surface vessel prototyping, the service said on Friday.
Category Archives: UnmannedSurfaceVehicle
Navy Selects 7 MUSV Designs to Enter Prototype Phase
USNI News – Seven designs have been tapped by the Navy to develop medium unmanned surface vessel prototypes as part of the sea service’s foray into robotic systems.
USVs could be ‘alternate options’ for missions for stretched manned fleet: Navy official
Breaking Defense – USVs are emerging as modular force elements when sending a large combatant ship is too costly or disproportionate.
DANAE project: A fleet of Armed USV for the French Navy by 2027
Naval News – 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 longer term stage, the USVs should be able to conduct escort and protection duties of military ships or high value units at sea, with onboard lethal weapons. The first systems from this “innovation acceleration project” are expected to be delivered at the end of 2027.
Uncrewed Narco-Drone Boat (USV) Found Off Gibraltar
Covert Shores – A small narco-surface drone (USV – uncrewed surface vessel) has been found by Spanish authorities floating off Gibraltar. The black-pained device could easily be mistaken for a submersible. Like the low-profile narco USV recently found in Colombia it appears to use Starlink for communications and navigation. A camera on the nose would allow the pilot to steer it.
Regent Squire Wing-In-Ground Effect Drone Demonstrator Makes First Flight
The War Zone – As it prepares for a potential future fight in the Pacific, the Marines tell us they are watching the progress of a wing-in-ground effect (WIG) drone concept that recently had its first test flight as a scale model. Being pitched as “the first ever Unmanned Surface and Aerial Vehicle (USA-V),” the Regent Squire is designed to conduct ISR, logistics, and combat search and rescue (CSAR) tasks in contested areas, the company states. It is also being eyed for counter-narcotics operations and anti-submarine warfare operations.
Practical, scalable and proven – Oceanus medium-sized uncrewed surface vessels
Navy Lookout – Zero USV’s Oceanus12 has moved from concept to credible operational platform, with a larger 17-metre variant now in development. For the Royal Navy, the question is no longer whether such vessels work, but how they might be integrated into operations alongside existing and future warships.
Asymmetry Rising – How Autonomous Systems Enforce Sea Denial on High Value Targets
CIMSEC – High-value naval platforms carry significance far beyond their military utility. They are symbols of national prestige, and damage to them carries political consequences even when losses are limited. By contrast, unmanned systems carry little political risk. Losing an autonomous platform does not provoke domestic backlash or escalation pressure.
As competition intensifies in regions such as the Indian Ocean, the balance of advantage may increasingly Favor those who can impose denial rather than project dominance. The decisive question is shifting away from who fields the most impressive platforms, and toward who can most effectively deny the use of contested maritime spaces. In that environment, low-cost autonomous systems are not force multipliers; they are force limiters, capable of eroding the operational freedom of even the most advanced navies.
Stability over speed: Pioneer – a different approach to uncrewed surface vessels
Navy Lookout – In this article, we look at Pioneer, a uniquely stable USV platform developed in the UK capable of deploying serious payloads for naval or commercial applications in sea conditions that would defeat many competitors.
Navy will consolidate Medium, Large USV programs: GAO
Breaking Defense – The Navy is moving ahead with consolidating its two largest unmanned surface vessel programs, with plans to begin developing the new unmanned ship by 2027, according to a new government report.
‘Oversaturated’: Can the Navy make good on unmanned vessel demand after industry surge?
Breaking Defense – Company after company has introduced unmanned platforms, but as one analyst said, the Navy “just has not given the indication that they are buying these at scale.”
Thales, Saildrone pitch a windsurfing fleet of submarine spotters
Defense News – Thales Australia has partnered with Saildrone to integrate a towed array sonar system with the Surveyor unmanned surface vessel, promising navies the ability to pinpoint underwater threats through silent operation.
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