Medium displacement unmanned surface vessel capable of autonomous open-ocean operation for months. Designed to track quiet diesel-electric submarines using AI sensor processing.
Sea Hunter demonstrated in 2018 that a medium-displacement unmanned vessel could complete a 10,000-kilometer trans-Pacific voyage entirely autonomously, navigating international shipping lanes and complying with maritime rules of the road. The vessel uses AI acoustic processing to classify submarine signatures from towed and hull-mounted sonar arrays, enabling persistent tracking of quiet diesel submarines that are difficult for larger surface ships to shadow. DARPA has transferred the program to the US Navy which is now exploring operational concepts for autonomous surface vessel employment in contested waters.
Completed 2018 autonomous trans-Pacific voyage; ongoing USN testing as part of Ghost Fleet Overlord
Leidos (LDOS) is the primary contractor for Sea Hunter and benefits from ongoing USN autonomous surface vessel development. General Dynamics (GD) provides communications systems for the platform.