SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission

The US Navy (USN) has recently completed a record-setting eight-day fully autonomous mission using the Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC) T38 Devil Ray uncrewed surface vessel (USV). This step marked a major milestone in the Pentagon’s push towards persistent autonomous operations in contested maritime environments.

The T38 deployment, conducted by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s (NAWCWD) Point Mugu Sea Range, took place off the coast of California. During the trials, the platform operated continuously for 192h without onboard personnel, chase boats or escort support.

The vessel travelled around 400nml into the Pacific Ocean, performed extended station-keeping and autonomously returned to port.

Related Articles

Advances in USV technology help develop tomorrow’s hybrid fleet

US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027

As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging

Engineered to exceed 60kt at top speed, the USV is fitted with twin Volvo Penta D6 diesel engines. During the trials with the NAWCWD, it deliberately operated for two days with only one engine to extend loiter time and evaluate endurance.

While navigating with a single engine, “the T38 autonomously maintained its designated station, continued data collection and executed mission objectives without degradation,” MARTAC stated in a press release.

The mission took place in Sea State 3 conditions, with waves between 45cm to 1.2m. The USV also encountered Sea State 5 moments with up to 3m waves.

Speaking to Shephard, MARTAC’s Chief Growth Officer, Seamus Flatley, claimed that the vessel’s 11.5-metre carbon fibre asymmetric catamaran architecture allows it to maintain stability for sensor collection and precision station-keeping despite deteriorating sea conditions.

He noted that the Devil Ray “was designed from the ground up for autonomous operations without having any human capacities aboard it”.

This robotic system can be deployed in multiple missions, including ISR, maritime domain awareness, logistics support and distributed fleet operations.

In terms of payload, it can carry up to 1.8t and can be integrated with radar systems, LiDAR, electro-optical sensors, radio-frequency surveillance packages and mine countermeasure systems.

“It is a very versatile platform. If you want, you can put a counter-UAS capability on the boat, launch UAVs off the boat, or tow systems through the water,” Flatley said. “You can also launch torpedoes off the back of the boat, which we have done in the past.”

According to Flatley, the T38’s carbon-fibre construction reduces radar detectability compared with traditional steel or aluminium vessels.

“I am not going to say it is complete stealth, but it is likely a little bit harder to detect. It also goes low on the water, no more than three or four feet (0.9 or 1.2m) above the waterline,” he added.

Meanwhile, its C2 capabilities enable the USV to communicate through direct line-of-sight links, 4G and 5G LTE networks, SATCOM and Starlink connectivity.

Flatley noted that the Devil Ray also features anti-jamming capabilities, which “are now considered essential for survivability in modern combat environments”.

In FY2025, the USN acquired five T38 USVs, with the first one being delivered in the last fall.