US Navy Advances Modular Missile-Carrying Sea Drones for Indo-Pacific Deterrence
US Navy Advances Modular Missile-Carrying Sea Drones for Indo-Pacific Deterrence

US Navy Advances Modular Missile-Carrying Sea Drones for Indo-Pacific Deterrence

News summary

The U.S. Navy is rapidly advancing its development of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) through the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program, which aims to create rugged, modular, and scalable USVs capable of carrying containerized payloads, including missile systems, over long distances. The Navy prioritizes affordability, ease of construction, and repairability to enable mass production across multiple shipyards, with a focus on deploying these vessels quickly to enhance distributed lethality and disrupt potential Chinese operations in the Taiwan Strait. Alongside surface vessels, the Navy has demonstrated significant progress in persistent maritime surveillance using solar-powered drones, such as the Skydweller, which recently completed a 73-hour nonstop flight, highlighting advancements in autonomous, long-endurance ISR capabilities. The U.S. Navy’s approach integrates unmanned systems across surface, aerial, and underwater domains, reflecting a comprehensive strategy to saturate contested areas with robotic assets and deter conflict without direct escalation. Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence is also pursuing carrier-capable stealth combat drones under its Autonomous Collaborative Platform program, aiming to operate alongside crewed aircraft and extend uncrewed combat capabilities into the maritime domain. These efforts collectively signify a transformative shift in naval warfare toward unmanned, modular, and interoperable platforms designed to meet 21st-century maritime challenges.

Story Coverage
Bias Distribution
50% Center
Information Sources
bfb2a97b-336e-48d9-b69a-147df7862dc25a2a5aad-a68d-4ad4-a0bb-fd4b8b61f120
Left 50%
Center 50%
Coverage Details
Total News Sources
2
Left
1
Center
1
Right
0
Unrated
0
Last Updated
3 days ago
Bias Distribution
50% Center
Related News
Daily Index

Negative

21Serious

Neutral

Optimistic

Positive

Ask VT AI
Story Coverage

Related Topics

Subscribe

Stay in the know

Get the latest news, exclusive insights, and curated content delivered straight to your inbox.

Present

Gift Subscriptions

The perfect gift for understanding
news from all angles.

Related News
Recommended News