SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission
USN T38 Devil Ray USV. (Photo: MARTAC)
The MARTAC T38 Devil Ray USV has set a new endurance benchmark as the US Navy pushes deeper into autonomous maritime warfare.
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
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