VECTORDEFENCE DRONE
INTELLIGENCE
INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE
THE EVOLVING FIELD GUIDE
Editor

Field guide

Uncrewed surface vessels & naval drones

Understand surface vessels used for naval observation, survey, mine-countermeasure support and other maritime roles, from small craft to larger experimental ships.

What is a surface drone?

An uncrewed surface vessel operates at the water's surface without personnel aboard during its uncrewed mode. Some platforms also support a crewed mode, which should be stated explicitly. A development programme can include several hulls with different dimensions, propulsion and payloads; the name of a fleet initiative is not necessarily the name of one vessel design.

The mission is wider than the hull

Surface platforms can carry observation and survey equipment or support a wider naval system. The US Navy's MCM USV fact sheet describes a semi-autonomous surface craft with modular mine-countermeasure payload arrangements. This illustrates why the vehicle, mission equipment and programme acceptance should be recorded separately. An established base vessel does not imply that every later payload has reached the same maturity.

Specifications that matter here

Surface profiles use hull and propulsion descriptions, dimensions, displacement or mass, payload, endurance, range, speed and stated environmental limits. A maximum speed does not establish sustained endurance at that speed. A sea-state statement needs its original context: a supplier may distinguish operating, launch, recovery and survival conditions. If the reviewed source leaves this unspecified, the catalogue does too.

Control and the human role

Remote control, supervised autonomy and onboard navigation functions are described in the relevant profile. The word autonomous does not by itself specify how the vessel is monitored, how its mission is approved or which decisions remain with people. Where the same system can operate in several modes, performance and control statements should stay attached to the named configuration.

Programme evidence

Tests, orders and delivered vessels have different evidential weight. Supplier announcements are labelled as such, and reported concepts remain visibly separate from documented use. Start with the surface-vessel directory to browse published profiles, then consult the maritime research register for countries and systems awaiting deeper coverage.

Publication history

  • — Added sourced land and maritime coverage with domain-specific evidence and limitations.

Suggest a correction to this entry →

Follow the evidence

Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.

  1. US Navy: MCM USV fact file, updated July 2025 (opens in a new tab)Government / operator
  2. US Navy: UISS initial operating capability announcement (opens in a new tab)Government / operator

Related news

News archive

Explore the connections

Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

Textron CUSV / MCM USV

The US Navy's modular mine-countermeasure surface craft, with a distinct configuration from the newer MMUSV.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

Textron Multi Mission USV

The fifth-generation CUSV derivative introduced in January 2026 under a development, testing and delivery award.

Order / production commitmentRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

Textron TSUNAMI family

A commercially based USV family combining Brunswick hulls with Textron autonomy, with US Navy sales and a 2026 DIU award.

Order / production commitmentRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

MARTAC MANTAS T12

A small electric catamaran USV offered for sensing, survey and communications roles.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

MARTAC Devil Ray T18 / T24

Two smaller Devil Ray catamaran configurations, recorded separately from the existing T38 profile.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

Ghost Fleet Overlord Ranger / Mariner

Large fast-supply-vessel-based USV demonstrators with documented US Navy deployment, distinct from Sea Hunter and Seahawk.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselFrance

Exail Inspector 90

A nine-metre-class surface drone carrier for survey, surveillance and mine-countermeasure payloads.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselFrance / Belgium

Exail Inspector 125

A larger mine-countermeasure drone carrier with confirmed first Belgian–Dutch toolbox delivery in 2026.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselSingapore

Singapore MCM USV programme

A purpose-built mine-countermeasure surface-vessel programme whose hull construction began in 2025.

Order / production commitmentRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselFrance

Seaquest-S 930

A compact French surface vessel for maritime observation, protection and modular mission demonstrations.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselIsrael

Protector USV family

A remotely supervised surface-vessel family with documented Singapore Navy maritime-security use.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselTürkiye

Concept / announced

STM YAKTU

STM's announced compact one-way surface-vehicle programme, first presented in May 2026.

Concept / announcedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselChina

JARI small USV

The smaller JARI surface-vessel development, launched in 2019 and distinct from the later large Orca.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselChina

JARI-USV-A Orca

A large Chinese uncrewed surface-vessel programme publicly displayed in November 2024.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselSouth Korea

Haegeom / Sea Sword family

A South Korean experimental USV family supporting surveillance and subsequent naval development programmes.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselSouth Korea

Concept / announced

Haegeom-X

A modular surface-vessel concept unveiled in 2025 and associated with South Korea's future uncrewed naval work.

Concept / announcedRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselRussia

KMZ hydrographic USV (RK-700M derivative)

A separately described KMZ survey boat displayed in 2024, based on the RK-700M rather than an assumed common Vizir specification.

Supplier-reported statusRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselPoland

StormRider 550 / 850

A Polish modular surface-vessel family, with the smaller 550 unveiled in September 2026.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

Vanguard Overlord USV

A purpose-built US Navy autonomy demonstrator in the Overlord programme.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Uncrewed surface vesselUnited States

USX-1 Defiant / NOMARS

An experimental ship designed without onboard accommodation, undergoing autonomous reliability and endurance demonstrations.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited States

Sea Hunter / Seahawk

US Navy autonomous trimarans that progressed from research prototypes to documented fleet activity, including Seahawk's 2026 carrier-group deployment.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited States

Saildrone Voyager

A 10-metre autonomous vessel for persistent coastal surveillance and seabed mapping, used in US and NATO maritime programmes.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited States

Saildrone Surveyor

A 20-metre ocean-going autonomous platform for deep-water mapping, maritime sensing and trials of additional naval payloads.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited States

Concept / announced

Saildrone Spectre

A 52-metre uncrewed naval design announced in April 2026, with first sea trials planned for early 2027.

Concept / announcedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited States

MARTAC Devil Ray T38

A modular autonomous catamaran used for naval experimentation and range support, with an eight-day mission reported in 2026.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsIsrael

Elbit Seagull

An optionally crewed 12-metre vessel able to operate without an onboard crew, with modular naval sensing and mine-countermeasure payloads.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsAustralia

Ocius Bluebottle

An Australian long-endurance surveillance USV using renewable energy, with a hybrid variant and a 40-vessel Navy order announced in 2026.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUnited Kingdom

ARCIMS

A modular naval USV supporting mine countermeasures and survey missions, with remote, autonomous and onboard operating modes.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsFrance

Exail DriX H-8

A slender autonomous survey vessel used for civil and military ocean data collection, including a documented French Shom delivery.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsPortugal

Concept / announced

UFORCE MAGURA MV11

A larger MAGURA-family carrier USV unveiled in August 2026, with advertised capacity for other unmanned systems and mission equipment.

Concept / announcedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUkraine

Sea Baby

Ukraine's SBU surface-drone family, with a substantially enlarged 2025 configuration documented by its operator.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsTürkiye

ASELSAN / Sefine MARLIN

A Turkish modular naval USV with documented entry into the Navy inventory and several separately advertised mission variants.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsSingapore

Singapore MARSEC USV

Singapore's autonomous maritime-security vessel began operational patrols in January 2025, according to the defence ministry.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsUkraine / United Kingdom / Portugal

MAGURA V5 / V6P / V7 / MV7

A Ukrainian-origin surface-drone family with documented wartime use, followed by internationally developed MV7 configurations.

In service / use documentedRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsRussia

Vizir / Vizir-M

A Russian uncrewed-boat development line publicly demonstrated for hydrography and modular maritime sensing; military fleet status remains unclear.

Development / trialsRead
Sea surface · Sea surface systemsTürkiye

ULAQ surface-vessel family

A Turkish family of autonomous naval and port-security vessels, including the export ULAQ-11 and larger ULAQ-12 designs.

Order / production commitmentRead