Australia Rolls Out Southern Hemisphere’s First 3D-Printed Drone Boat for Defense Ops
West Australian firm Hyperion Systems has launched what it describes as the southern hemisphere’s first 3D-printed unmanned surface vessel, the ASTRA 460, at a defense and security expo in Perth.
US Marine Corps Receives ROMULUS-25 Drone Boats From HII, MetalCraft
HII and UK-based MetalCraft Marine have delivered and trialed two ROMULUS-25 unmanned surface vessels for the US Marine Corps.
US Navy Unveils 30-Year ‘Golden Fleet’ Modernization Plan to Reach 450+ Ships
The US Navy has released a three-decade shipbuilding plan aimed at expanding its fleet beyond 450 vessels in the early 2030s while overhauling acquisition practices and rebuilding the maritime industrial base.
MARTAC Devil Ray USV Completes Eight-Day Autonomous Mission Off California
MARTAC has announced that its T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel completed an eight-day autonomous mission off the coast of California.
Textron to Supply US Navy With Tsunami Drone Boats
The US Defense Innovation Unit has contracted Textron Systems to provide its proprietary Tsunami unmanned surface vessels for the US Navy.
One Operator, Multiple Platforms: US Firms Create Unified Control for Air, Sea Systems
Leidos and Havoc are advancing autonomous operations by developing a capability that enables a single operator to coordinate and control multiple platforms in contested environments.
US-Made ‘Comet’ USV Packs Dual-Missile Punch for Naval Air Defense
An unmanned surface vessel is emerging as a new airspace protector at sea, equipped with a dual-missile system designed to take on aerial threats ranging from drones to helicopters.
Starlink Glitch Leaves US Navy Drone Boats Drifting: Report
A global outage in Elon Musk’s Starlink network disrupted US Navy drone tests, cutting communications and leaving approximately two dozen unmanned surface vessels adrift off California for nearly an hour.
Ukraine Introduces New Surface Drone Built to Operate Through Electronic Warfare
A new unmanned platform is now swimming through Ukrainian waters, built as a multi-purpose solution in contested electronic warfare environments.
US Navy Speeds Up ‘Golden Fleet’ Push, Axes MUSV Prototype Effort
The US Navy is pivoting from a prototyping program to a faster procurement model for medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs), aiming to rapidly integrate autonomous boats into its "Golden Fleet" initiative.
HII to Open Romulus USV Production Hub in Louisiana
HII has unveiled a plan to establish a new assembly center in Louisiana to support the manufacture of its Romulus unmanned surface vessel family.
UK Mulls Sending Minehunter Drones to Strait of Hormuz
The UK is considering deploying minehunting unmanned surface vessels to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as tensions disrupt a vital global oil route.
HII Taps Nominal to Speed Testing and Data Analysis for Unmanned Maritime Vehicles
HII partnered with Nominal to modernize how operational and manufacturing data are collected and analyzed for its REMUS and ROMULUS vehicles.
Pentagon Eyes New ‘Robot Ship’ Concept for Low-Profile, All-Domain Logistics
The Pentagon has put out a call for designs of a new vessel that could move gear to troops across long distances without a crew on board.
Teledyne Marine, MSubs Eye UK Navy’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Efforts
Florida-based Teledyne Marine and MSubs in Devon have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue joint autonomous system opportunities with the UK Royal Navy.
US Navy Plans Separate Commander for Robotic Autonomous Systems
The US Navy is planning to activate a dedicated commander for robotic autonomous systems as it pushes to integrate modern unmanned vessels across the fleet.
Turkey’s ULAQ Global to Localize Drone Boat Production in Saudi Arabia
Turkish defense firm ULAQ Global Autonomous Systems has signed a deal with Saudi Arabia to jointly develop and produce unmanned surface vessels in the kingdom.
UK Ends ‘Project Lily’ Survey Drone Ship Project
The UK has suspended the acquisition of an unmanned surface vessel intended to support international maritime survey missions under “Project Lily.”
Netherlands Debuts 3D-Printed USV Built in Just Five Months
The Netherlands needed just five months to turn an uncrewed surface vessel concept into a working prototype, now undergoing its first on-water tests as a 3D-printed platform.
Textron Unveils Fifth-Gen USV With Doubled Payload, Expanded Reach
MMUSV is Textron Systems’ fifth-generation Multi-Mission Uncrewed Surface Vessel, with extended endurance, heavier payload capacity, and multi-mission flexibility.
Exail Secures Two New Orders for DriX H-9 Surface Drone
Exail has signed two new contracts for its DriX H-9 autonomous surface drone for maritime defense and hydrographic applications.
New USV Takes Autonomous Ops Into Hazardous Littoral Waters
OceanSled Explorer is a rugged autonomous surface vehicle, measuring 3.6 meters, displacing 280 kilograms, and carrying up to 454 kilograms of payload.
Remote AI Hubs to Lead Royal Navy’s Autonomous Minehunting
Thales just bagged a $13.5 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence to roll out next-gen remote command centers for the Royal Navy.
Northrop Demos Towed Anti-Mine Sonar on Drone Boat for US Navy
Northrop Grumman has tested the integration of its AN/AQS-24 anti-mine sonar system with an unmanned surface vessel for the US Navy.
