The United States Army used a swarm of autonomous vessels during Exercise Salaknib 2026, held in the Philippines, to demonstrate new maritime surveillance and protection capabilities.
The operation took place in Casiguran Bay and aimed to escort a logistics vessel carrying armored vehicles and Filipino troops over more than 418 kilometers.
The unmanned systems were operated by members of the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division, one of the main U.S. ground forces in the Pacific region. During the mission, the autonomous boats created a security perimeter around the vessel, collecting data from the maritime environment and sending information in near real time to command centers on land.
According to the military personnel involved, the technology makes it possible to significantly speed up the decision-making process. The onboard sensors expand commanders’ situational awareness without the need to deploy manned aircraft, patrol vessels, or observation teams distributed along the coast. The capability was also used to escort the logistics vessel as it approached the port, ensuring the safe disembarkation of Filipino vehicles and troops.
The demonstration reinforces the interest of the United States and its allies in incorporating autonomous systems into maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific. In a country made up of more than 7,600 islands and located near strategic and disputed areas, such as the South China Sea, solutions of this type could play an important role in the continuous surveillance of maritime routes and the protection of logistics operations.
Source: Defence Blog| DVIDS | Photos: Sgt. Abreanna Goodrich / Public Domain | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
