Sea hunter (unmanned warship) is used to patrol the oceans searching for enemy submarines, undersea mines and airborne dangers. It's one large, autonomous drone ship that the US Navy is fast-tracking in order to help it combat a growing threat from Russia and China.
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 huge leap forward in naval technology that has the potential to transform the Navy's approach to maritime defense and even the way its largest ships conduct missions. It is a significant step toward the development and production of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle that could revolutionize how Navy combats underwater.
DARPA's Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel Project (ASW ACTUV), says that the prototype was created as a "highly automated unmanned warship" and will serve to test "new mission-specific autonomous behavior and coordination among multiple UUVs. This is a key part of DARPA's mission to create "a new generation autonomous vessels that can replace human crew, improve safety, and reduce costs".
In 2021, independent defense analyst H I Sutton first reported on the USV's existence, using satellite imagery to pinpoint its location outside a Chinese shipyard. Sutton discovered a few indications that this craft was in testing, as well as evidence that it was still present in the 2021 follow-up article.
The UUV tracks and shadows diesel-electric enemy Subs for many months, keeping them away from critical areas. It uses advanced hydroacoustics, pattern recognition, and algorithms for unmanned navigation to find and shadow the boats.
The Navy's new ship can do more than just track subs. It can also search for mines, clear underwater obstacles and provide secure communications relays for the Navy's largest warships. This ship could also serve as a vanguard for larger unmanned fleets of warships. They will be able take advantage of Sea Hunter’s speed and range to better deal with threats.
It's a striking combination of a workboat, a yacht, and its design. This boat offers luxury and comfort at its best. It has individual gear lockers as well as dual rinse tanks for the cameras and dual bins for the strobes.
The boat comes with a lifetime structural warranty that will ensure that you are protected for your investment.
This ship was christened at Portland, Oregon in April 2016 as part the Navy's MDUSV test-and-development program. This is the first of a new breed of ships that employ artificial intelligence as an alternative to a human crew. Vigor, a marine contractor that specializes designing and building drone boats, is also home to this ship.