U.S. Army Tests Autonomous Boat Swarm During Philippine Exercise Salaknib 2026
During Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines, U.S. Army soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to escort a logistics vessel transporting Philippine Army armored vehicles and personnel. The USVs provided real-time surveillance to shore commanders, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The exercise involved approximately 7,000 troops from the U.S., Philippines, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, highlighting integration of autonomous maritime systems in the Indo-Pacific.
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US Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise
During the Salaknib 2026 military exercise in the Philippines, U.S. Army soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) as it approached Casiguran port. The USVs, developed by defense tech company HAVOC, navigated using onboard sensors to identify threats and transmit real-time environmental data to commanders on land, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The operation supported the transport of Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles. This demonstration highlights the U.S. military's expanding unmanned maritime fleet in the Indo-Pacific, with Navy plans to grow medium USVs from four to over 30 by 2030, alongside thousands of smaller systems. The article also notes a separate incident where a USV assisted in rescuing two U.S. Army soldiers after a helicopter crash near Oman, reflecting growing use of uncrewed assets in diverse operations.
Military TimesUS Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise
The U.S. Army tested autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines, using them to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) carrying Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles to Port Casiguran. Soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed the USVs, which navigated autonomously using onboard sensors to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The demonstration highlights the expanding role of uncrewed maritime assets in the Indo-Pacific, as the U.S. military plans to grow its medium USV fleet from about four vessels in April 2026 to over 30 by 2030, alongside thousands of smaller systems. Industry partner Ben Outlaw noted the technology compresses commanders' decision-making from hours to seconds. The exercise also follows a recent USV-assisted rescue of U.S. soldiers in Oman.
Army TimesUS Army Tests Autonomous Boats During Philippine Exercise Salaknib 2026
During the Salaknib 2026 exercise in the Philippines, the US Army deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) carrying Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles. Soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, operated the HAVOC-branded USVs in Casiguran Sound bay. The USVs navigated autonomously using onboard sensors to identify threats and provide real-time situational awareness to commanders, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The demonstration highlights the US military's expanding unmanned maritime fleet across the Indo-Pacific, with plans to grow medium USVs from four to over 30 by 2030. The article also notes a separate incident where a USV assisted in rescuing two Army soldiers after a helicopter crash near Oman.
Army TimesUS Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise
During the Salaknib 2026 exercise in the Philippines, U.S. Army soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) carrying Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles to Port Casiguran. The USVs, developed by defense tech company HAVOC, used onboard sensors to autonomously navigate, identify threats, and provide real-time situational awareness to commanders, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The exercise demonstrates the U.S. military's expanding unmanned maritime capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, with Navy plans to grow its medium USV fleet from four to over 30 by 2030. The article also notes a separate incident where a USV helped rescue two Army soldiers after a helicopter crash off Oman.
Military TimesU.S. Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise Salaknib 2026
During the U.S.-Philippine military exercise Salaknib 2026, the U.S. Army deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) in Casiguran Sound, Luzon. The USVs, equipped with sensors, provided real-time ISR and threat detection, escorting the LSV from about six miles offshore. The operation enabled the transport of Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles to Port Casiguran. Officials noted the USV technology compressed commanders' decision-making from hours to seconds. The exercise marks a key demonstration of expanding U.S. unmanned maritime capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, alongside Navy plans to grow its medium USV fleet to over 30 by 2030. The article also references a separate incident where a USV aided in the rescue of U.S. soldiers after a helicopter crash in Oman.
Defense NewsUS Army Tests Autonomous Boats During Philippine Exercise Salaknib 2026
During the Salaknib 2026 exercise in the Philippines, the U.S. Army deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) in Casiguran Sound bay. Soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion used the USVs to provide security, observe the environment, and transmit real-time data to shore-based commanders. The operation supported the transport of Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles to Port Casiguran. The USVs, developed by defense tech firm HAVOC, navigated autonomously using onboard sensors to identify threats. Army officials stated the technology compresses decision-making from hours to seconds. The demonstration is part of a broader Pentagon effort to expand unmanned maritime capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, with the Navy planning to grow its medium USV fleet from four to over 30 by 2030.
Defense NewsUS Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise
The U.S. Army tested autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines, where they escorted a U.S. Army Logistics Support Vessel into Casiguran port. Soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed the USVs to provide security and reconnaissance, transmitting real-time environmental and threat data to commanders on land. The exercise supported transporting Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles. The USVs, featuring HAVOC branding, navigated autonomously using onboard sensors, compressing commander decision-making from hours to seconds. This demonstration aligns with the U.S. military's broader expansion of unmanned maritime assets in the Indo-Pacific, with plans to grow its medium USV fleet from four to over 30 by 2030.
Army TimesUS Army tests autonomous boats during Philippine exercise
During the Salaknib 2026 military exercise in the Philippines, the U.S. Army deployed autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) into Casiguran port. The USVs, equipped with onboard sensors, provided real-time surveillance and threat detection ahead of the landing craft, helping transport Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles. The demonstration, conducted with the Philippine Army in Casiguran Sound bay, highlights the growing use of uncrewed maritime assets in the Indo-Pacific region. An industry partner noted the technology compresses commanders' decision-making from hours to seconds. The article also references a separate incident where a USV aided rescue operations after a U.S. helicopter crash off Oman, underscoring the expanding role of unmanned systems in military operations.
Defense NewsUS Army Tests Autonomous Boats During Philippine Military Exercise
The U.S. Army tested autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during the Salaknib 2026 exercise in the Philippines, with soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deploying the boats to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) into Casiguran port. The USVs, developed by defense technology company HAVOC, navigated autonomously using onboard sensors to identify threats and provide real-time situational awareness to commanders, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The operation supported the transportation of Philippine Army personnel and armored vehicles over 260 miles. This demonstration highlights the U.S. military's expanding unmanned maritime capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, where the Navy expects its medium USV fleet to grow from four to over 30 vessels by 2030, alongside thousands of smaller drones. The article also references a separate incident where a USV assisted in rescuing U.S. Army soldiers after a helicopter crash off the coast of Oman.
Military TimesU.S. Army Demonstrates Autonomous Boat Swarm in the Philippines During Exercise Salaknib 2026
During Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines, U.S. Army soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed a swarm of autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in Casiguran Sound. The USVs screened a U.S. Army Logistics Support Vessel transporting Philippine Army armored vehicles and personnel over 418 km from Port Tobaco to Port Casiguran. The autonomous boats provided real-time surveillance data to commanders ashore, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The demonstration highlighted integration of autonomous maritime systems into combined U.S.-Philippine operations, addressing the strategic challenge of securing logistics across the Philippines' 7,600-island archipelago. The exercise involved approximately 7,000 soldiers from the U.S., Philippines, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, covering jungle warfare, live-fire training, and air assault operations.
The Defence Blog – Military and Defense NewsU.S. Army Demonstrates Autonomous Boat Swarm in Philippine Exercise Salaknib 2026
During Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines, U.S. Army soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion deployed a swarm of autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in Casiguran Sound. The boats screened a U.S. Army Logistics Support Vessel transporting Philippine Army armored vehicles and personnel over 418 km from Port Tobaco to Port Casiguran. The USVs provided real-time surveillance data to commanders ashore, compressing decision-making from hours to seconds. The demonstration highlighted integration of autonomous maritime systems into combined U.S.-Philippine operations, addressing the strategic challenge of securing logistics across the Philippines' 7,600-island archipelago. Exercise Salaknib 2026 involved approximately 7,000 soldiers from the U.S., Philippines, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, covering jungle warfare, live-fire training, and air assault operations.
The Defence Blog – Military and Defense News