Sea hunter can be described as an unmanned warship. It is designed to search the oceans in search of enemy submarines and other airborne dangers. It's just one of the many autonomous drone ships that the US Navy has been fast-tracking to combat China and Russia's rising threat.
The 132-foot-long ship is built to withstand rough conditions up to Sea State 5-or waves up to 6.5 feet, and is designed to operate through all weather conditions, including heavy rain, snow, and ice. It can travel up to 1,500 nautical miles without a crew, and it's capable of conducting surface warfare operations as well.
It's a big leap forward for naval technology, and it has the potential of changing the Navy's approach in maritime defense as well as the way its largest ships perform missions. It marks a major milestone in the creation of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), the new autonomous underwater vehicles that could revolutionize Navy warfare.
According to DARPA's Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ASW ACTUV) project, the prototype was designed as a "highly autonomous unmanned warship" and will be used to test "new mission-specific autonomous behavior" and coordination among multiple UUVs. This prototype is part of the agency's plan to create "a new breed of autonomous vessels that can replace humans, improve safety, reduce costs and increase safety".
H I Sutton, an independent defense analyst, first reported on the existence of the USV in 2021. He used satellite imagery to locate its location from a Chinese shipyard. Sutton had identified several indicators that the craft was currently undergoing testing in his follow-up article, published in 2021.
The UUV is designed to track and shadow diesel-electric enemy subs for months, ensuring that they stay away from vital areas. It employs advanced hydro-acoustics as well as pattern recognition and algorithms to unmannedly navigate the boat.
The Navy's newest vessel isn't limited to tracking subs. It's also capable of being deployed to search and clear mines, as well providing a secure communication link for the Navy’s largest warships. Sea Hunter's speed- and range will make it a potential vanguard for unmanned warships larger than the current fleet.
As for the boat's design, it's a striking hybrid between a workboat and a yacht. With individual gear lockers, private camera/strobe storage bins, dual camera rinse tanks, and a drone takeoff/landing pad, the boat offers the ultimate in comfort and luxury.
It's also backed up by a lifetime structural warranty so that you can sleep easy knowing that your boat is a great investment for years to come.
This ship was christened at Portland, Oregon in April 2016 as part the Navy's MDUSV test-and-development program. It's the first of a class of ships that utilize artificial intelligence in lieu of a crew. Vigor Industrial is a marine services contractor that specializes on designing and building drones. This ship will also be the first to be based there.