Naval Drones

DJK said:
Seems like most of those USVs are small ones that aren't going to self deploy across the ocean, which begs the question of how much range they have and in what sea states.
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If they're based on commercial fishing hulls, I wouldn't expect more than Sea State 5.

It also wouldn't surprise me if someone based a USV on the 47ft MLBs that the USCG uses. Those things are solid and can take way more of a weather-beating. 60knot winds, 20ft breaking waves, naturally rolling back upright after capsizing in less than 30sec, up to 3gee slams coming down from a wave into the troughs (Sea State 6 or 7!). Plus they're already set up to work on remote controls. "only" a 25kt max speed, however, but they do cruise at 22kts. USCG version has a pair of Detroit Diesel 6V92TA engines, the international version uses Cat C12s.


DJK said:
Perhaps some of them are intended to launch from islands or amphibs.

Saronic's 7m Corsair has 1000NM range, and 12m Mirage has over 2000NM. Sounds like useful sizes to run from amphibs, and could launch from trailers if land based.
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I think most are intended to be launched from RHIB davits or ramps on ships, but it'd be possible to take a trailer on any ship with a mission bay** for transfer ashore.

** So, any amphib plus the LCS fleet, and any allied ships with a mission bay and RORO access to that bay.

Josh_TN said:
It seems to me land basing from Japan or the PI is easier.
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Depends on the range of the USV.

Plus, I think every ship carrying a USV as a harbor patrol boat is a good idea.
 
Well it appears that the USN's secret drone fleet is bigger than we thought, from Sandboxx:


After the crew of an AH-64 Apache was rescued by an American small unmanned surface vessel (USV) called the Corsair, we decided to dive into the Navy’s rapidly expanding (and highly secretive) fleets of unmanned boats, ships, and submarines. And what we found was one of the fastest-growing drone programs on the planet.
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It would appear that the AH-64E that went down in the Persian Gulf was an accidental shoot down due to it colliding with a Shaheed type drone.

Edit: I have no doubt that the Ukrainians have been quietly giving the USN a LOT of help with developing their sea drones including combat doctrine given that they are by far the most experienced sea drone operators in the world.
 
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U.S. Transfers Ocean Aero Tritons to Philippine Navy USV Unit​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ean-aero-tritons-to-philippine-navy-usv-unit/
Four Tritons were officially handed over to the Philippine Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Unit One at Naval Operating Base Subic Bay on Monday. Powered by wind and solar panels and capable of operating up to 30 days at a time, these drones are designed to persistently monitor maritime activities on the surface and underwater. The transfer of Triton comes as the Armed Forces of the Philippines seeks modern systems to bolster its detection and tracking capabilities amid a series of maritime standoffs with the Beijing in the South China Sea.
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“Unlike traditional unmanned underwater vehicles that are constrained by battery endurance and require frequent recovery, Triton can persist in an operational area for extended periods, continuously collecting and transmitting data while maintaining a minimal logistics footprint. Its ability to carry side-scan sonar, passive acoustic sensors, navigation systems, and other specialized payloads makes it an ideal platform for detecting threats, monitoring critical infrastructure, and supporting seabed warfare operations,” said Morabe said.
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The world’s only autonomous underwater and surface vehicle:​

The Triton​

https://www.oceanaero.com/the-triton
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Eh…to be fair there are gliders that achieved those endurance levels and more.
 

Ukraine’s Massive New Underwater Drone – Sea Trident ST-1000​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ive-new-underwater-drone-sea-trident-st-1000/
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aBsFuDMq38
1- Kamikaze / Strike operations
2- Logistics and payload delivery
3- Interception and neutralization of other UUVs
4- FPV drones carrier


Sea Trident ST-1000 Specifications:

  • Length: 10 meters
  • Beam: 2 meters
  • Height: 1.5 meters (excluding mast assembly)
  • Weight: 10 tonnes
  • Range: 2,000 nautical miles
  • Speed: 6 knots cruising / 10 knots max
  • Operating Depth: 60 meters
  • Payload (Warhead): 1,000 kg
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Hanwha Unveils Striker MUSV Family at Eurosatory 2026​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/06/hanwha-unveils-striker-musv-family-at-eurosatory-2026/
The vessel measures 35 meters in length with a beam of six meters and a displacement of approximately 250 tons. While considerably smaller than conventional missile combatants, it offers enough volume for fuel, sensors, communications equipment and mission modules. According to specifications displayed at Eurosatory, the platform can accommodate a containerized payload module with a capacity of up to 10 tons.
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Close-up view of the containerized Chunmoo launcher on the Striker-S USV.

For naval targets engagement, Hanwha Aerospace is developing the CTM-ASBM (Chunmoo Tactical Missile – Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile) variant, which is a modified version of the CTM-MR (Medium Range). CTM-MR is reported to have a range of about 160 kilometers. CTM-ASBM shares the same 280 mm diameter and propulsion system but integrates an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker alongside its GPS/INS guidance to actively track and strike moving surface vessels.

Supporting the strike capability is an integrated sensor suite centered around an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Information presented by Hanwha indicates an aerial target detection range of approximately 50 kilometers and a surface surveillance range of less than 30 kilometers. The radar is paired with a dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system capability.
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Saronic Launches First Mirage 16-Meter Uncrewed Surface Vessel​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...irst-mirage-16-meter-uncrewed-surface-vessel/
Saronic on July 2, 2026 announced the launch of its first Mirage, a 52-ft. (16-meter) dual-use Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) that joins the 24-ft. (7-meter) Corsair and 180-ft. (55-meter) Marauder as the third flagship platform in Saronic’s growing fleet, and is the latest milestone in a production model delivering autonomous vessels at speed and scale.
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With a top speed of 35+ knots, a range exceeding 2,500 nautical miles, and a payload capacity of 3,500 pounds, Mirage more than doubles the range and payload capacity of Saronic’s 24-ft. Corsair.
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World’s first USV airdrop accomplished by Kraken and Capewell​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...-airdrop-accomplished-by-kraken-and-capewell/
During a series of pioneering trials, a Project Beehive specification K3 SCOUT USV was deployed on Capewell’s Universal Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System (UMCADS) multiple times from an altitude of 1,300 feet into waters of up to Sea State 4. These demonstrations successfully proved a new force projection capability to rapidly insert high-performance uncrewed vessels into contested or difficult-to-access maritime environments.
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J.A. Solutions Introduces Automatic Deployment System for USVs and Surface Vessels​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ployment-system-for-usvs-and-surface-vessels/
Danish company J.A. Solutions A/S has presented an automatic deployment system intended for unmanned surface vessels and other maritime platforms, covering both military and search-and-rescue applications.
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The company has shown the system in two different configurations. One is designed for the deployment of life rafts from a USV during SAR operations. The other is a modular frame arrangement that can be used to carry and release sea mines, drones, sensor packages or life rafts, depending on the mission and the host platform.
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Sandboxx has uploaded a video about CENTCOM's naval-drone strike yesterday:


The firm behind the U.S. Navy’s new drone boats that were used to strike Iran this weekend and that saved a downed Apache crew in June, is part of a broader shift toward Defense contractors focusing on delivering real warfighting capability, rather than looking for loopholes and payouts, according to the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.​
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So, let's talk about Saronic, its Corsair drone boat, and the culture shift within America's Defense Industrial Base.
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GABLER and FLANQ’s Torpedo Tube-Launched USV Completes Sea Trials​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...rpedo-tube-launched-usv-completes-sea-trials/
GABLER, a leading provider of submarine systems, and German defence technology company FLANQ have successfully completed the Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) demonstrating seaworthiness of their jointly developed Torpedo-Tube-Launched Uncrewed Surface Vessel (TTL USV) capability demonstrator.
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvgu82Z-1-I
 
If you are tethering a drone, why wouldn’t you download its data through the tether rather than a broadcast a data link?
 
Josh_TN said:
If you are tethering a drone, why wouldn’t you download its data through the tether rather than a broadcast a data link?
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It possibly sends data back to the USV via the tether but the USV then needs to disseminate that data throughout the force.
 
Forest Green said:
It possibly sends data back to the USV via the tether but the USV then needs to disseminate that data throughout the force.
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The dissemination can via more directional means or only trigger if a target is identified. But it seems like this platform is more for peacetime patrol anyway.
 

Netherlands Commences USV Design for New ASW Frigates with Thales FLASH Sonar​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/08/netherlands-asw-frigates-usv-thales-flash-sonar/
The Dutch Ministry of Defence, acting through the Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT), has formally commissioned Dutch Naval Design (DND) to begin designing a 12-meter uncrewed surface vessel (USV) for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The uncrewed craft will be deployed from the Royal Netherlands Navy’s upcoming generation of ASW frigates, significantly expanding the naval task group’s reach and underwater threat detection capabilities.
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Concurrently, the Dutch MoD cleared the way to finalize the procurement of a modified variant of the FLASH dipping sonar from Thales Underwater Systems France, which will be integrated directly into the USV platform.
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Problem with naval drones is run risk sabotage,capture, sensor malfunction in lieu organic eyes or incidents require maintenance. Let yacht industry do it.
A crew 15-20. A vessel under 250 feet.
Carry
- machine guns/grenade launchers
- x1-2 35mm Millennium gun
- armored box launcher for 4 missiles
- seaRAM design accommodate stinger sized missiles air defense

With simple engines and maintenance the vessel only need 2 officers and just enlisted men.
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More so, offshore Derrick abandoned or prefabricated garrison could be mothership.
 

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Ukrainian drones have an edge primarily in form of Starlink ,and there is not much ukrainan in or on them .Magura boats are made in UK and US , development was made in UK and Portugal , Turret is Norwegian , Coms are american and what is left is Chinese.
 
There's an awful lot in Russian stuff that isn't Russian though - Chinese engines and parts, smuggled Western electronics.
 
Definitely , both sides use awful lot of Chinese component base ,

But in naval drones starlink is absolute no.1 enabler, as conventional radi signals are limited in both range(earth curvature) and latency.

This is far more real than folks imagine
"It's funny how Europeans and Americans came up with this ‘China-free’ idea, when they don't have anything of their own. The European Union produces as many thermal imaging cameras for drones in a year as Ukraine uses on the front lines in a single month. Besides, there’s the issue of price. A thermal imaging camera in China costs $400–500, depending on the model, while in the European Union it’s 2,000 euros—and you can’t even buy it there because it’s a dual-use item," explains the co-founder of "Wild Hornets."

China is often called Russia’s ally in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainian defenders have even taken Chinese citizens fighting in the Russian army prisoner. However, according to the "Wild Hornets," the Chinese are "playing both sides" in the conflict.

"As soon as they choose a side, we're all doomed. China is learning very quickly. It constantly analyzes and refines all of our combat experience. The Chinese are very quick to incorporate improvements into their equipment. They've made significant strides in terms of quality, particularly when it comes to components. The same cameras we used two years ago were nothing special, but now they’re on par with top-tier NATO models. You can’t buy a camera like that in NATO because it’s military-grade equipment. In China, anyone can buy it," says the co-founder of "Wild Hornets." The Chinese are capable of manufacturing anything in any quantity; their machine-building industry is highly advanced.

Chinese starlink we havent seen any on Russian drones so far.
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Canadian -Chinese cameras
https://thedefensepost.com/2026/08/12/uk-drone-boats-china/
 
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