Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After the crew of an AH-64 Apache was rescued by an American small unmanned surface vessel (USV) called the Corsair, we decided to dive into the Navy’s rapidly expanding (and highly secretive) fleets of unmanned boats, ships, and submarines.
And what we found was one of the fastest-growing drone programs on the planet.
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Citations:
congress.gov/crs-product/IF12599
aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/trump-says-iran-shot-down-us-helicopters-over-hormuz-vows-to-respond
apnews.com/article/iran-us-ceasefire-helicopter-hezbollah-israel-9-june-2026-50d7a8ecbb2cf33836af152679adb40e?utm_source=chatgpt.com
twz.com/sea/this-is-the-corsair-drone-boat-that-plucked-the-downed-apache-crew-out-of-the-gulf-of-oman
defensescoop.com/2025/08/22/navy-buy-saronic-autonomous-maritime-drones-usv-asv-ota
https://x.com/Saronic/status/2025978870919209008
https://www.blacksea.tech/garc
static1.squarespace.com/static/62716e335ca6366f9cae7fb0/t/6a2192ff9183d70f477cdbec/1780585215858/GARC+Spec+Sheet.png
workboat.com/the-navy-is-moving-fast-to-deploy-uncrewed-fleets
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/2822628/navcent-task-force-completes-first-unmanned-integration-exercise-at-sea/
martacsystems.com/proven-products
naval-technology.com/projects/mantas-t-series-unmanned-surface-vessels-usv/?cf-view
navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/01/uk-mod-procuring-5-mantas-t12-usvs-for-royal-navy-and-joint-forces-command
navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/11/philippine-navy-receives-u-s-funded-usvs-for-scs-operations
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/2870620/navcent-launches-saildrone-in-gulf-of-aqaba-for-exercise-digital-horizon/
saildrone.com/news/operation-southern-spear-secure-maritime-border
saildrone.com/news/saildrone-overcomes-denied-and-spoofing-environments-to-expand-middle-east-ops
janusdefense.com/product/devil-ray-t38
https://bluezonegroup.com.au/product-catalogue/ras/usv/martac-usv/devil-ray-t38/
navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/05/martac-t38-usv-executes-192-hour-autonomous-mission-400-nm-offshore
thedefensepost.com/2026/05/07/martac-devil-ray-autonomous-mission
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/3576761/exercise-digital-talon-advances-unmanned-lethality-at-sea/
saildrone.com/missions/usn-4th-fleet-integration
defensescoop.com/2026/01/15/navy-drones-surface-fleet-unmanned-systems-sna
tectonicdefense.com/saronic-raises-1-75b-series-d
defensescoop.com/2026/01/15/navy-drones-surface-fleet-unmanned-systems-sna
breakingdefense.com/2026/06/navy-carrier-theodore-roosevelt-drone-seahawk-deployment
https://www.navy.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=4201&Article=4288073
defensedaily.com/saronics-marauder-musv-begins-water-trials/unmanned-systems
sandboxx.us/news/army-will-buy-3000-barracuda-500m-missiles-from-anduril-to-massively-boost-its-long-range-strike-capabilities
navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/06/saronic-and-castelion-to-demonstrate-first-of-its-kind-maritime-hypersonic-launch-capability
twz.com/air/u-s-navy-air-launched-version-of-cheap-blackbeard-hypersonic-missile-hinted-at
https://www.usff.navy.mil/press-room/news-stories/article/3288977/navy-and-industry-partners-complete-production-mk-18-unmanned-underwater-vehicl/
https://ndia.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2017/expwar/Kusumoto.pdf
navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/04/hii-delivers-initial-lionfish-uuv-to-u-s-navy-under-multi-year-program
wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-navy-sends-in-the-robots-to-clear-hormuz-of-mines-1c107caa
twz.com/news-features/huge-manta-ray-underwater-drone-looks-like-a-docked-star-wars-spaceship
After the crew of an AH-64 Apache was rescued by an American small unmanned surface vessel (USV) called the Corsair, we decided to dive into the Navy’s rapidly expanding (and highly secretive) fleets of unmanned boats, ships, and submarines.
And what we found was one of the fastest-growing drone programs on the planet.
Download the Sandboxx News App! It’s totally free!
apps.apple.com/us/app/sandboxx-news/id6760345905
📱 Follow Sandboxx News on social
Twitter: twitter.com/sandboxxnews
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@sandboxxnews
Instagram: instagram.com/sandboxxnews
Facebook: facebook.com/sandboxxnews
TikTok: tiktok.com/@sandboxxnews
📱 Follow Alex Hollings on social
Twitter: twitter.com/AlexHollings52
Instagram: instagram.com/alexhollings52
Facebook: facebook.com/AlexHollings52
TikTok: tiktok.com/alexhollings52
Citations:
congress.gov/crs-product/IF12599
aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/trump-says-iran-shot-down-us-helicopters-over-hormuz-vows-to-respond
apnews.com/article/iran-us-ceasefire-helicopter-hezbollah-israel-9-june-2026-50d7a8ecbb2cf33836af152679adb40e?utm_source=chatgpt.com
twz.com/sea/this-is-the-corsair-drone-boat-that-plucked-the-downed-apache-crew-out-of-the-gulf-of-oman
defensescoop.com/2025/08/22/navy-buy-saronic-autonomous-maritime-drones-usv-asv-ota
https://x.com/Saronic/status/2025978870919209008
https://www.blacksea.tech/garc
static1.squarespace.com/static/62716e335ca6366f9cae7fb0/t/6a2192ff9183d70f477cdbec/1780585215858/GARC+Spec+Sheet.png
workboat.com/the-navy-is-moving-fast-to-deploy-uncrewed-fleets
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/2822628/navcent-task-force-completes-first-unmanned-integration-exercise-at-sea/
martacsystems.com/proven-products
naval-technology.com/projects/mantas-t-series-unmanned-surface-vessels-usv/?cf-view
navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/01/uk-mod-procuring-5-mantas-t12-usvs-for-royal-navy-and-joint-forces-command
navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/11/philippine-navy-receives-u-s-funded-usvs-for-scs-operations
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/2870620/navcent-launches-saildrone-in-gulf-of-aqaba-for-exercise-digital-horizon/
saildrone.com/news/operation-southern-spear-secure-maritime-border
saildrone.com/news/saildrone-overcomes-denied-and-spoofing-environments-to-expand-middle-east-ops
janusdefense.com/product/devil-ray-t38
https://bluezonegroup.com.au/product-catalogue/ras/usv/martac-usv/devil-ray-t38/
navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/05/martac-t38-usv-executes-192-hour-autonomous-mission-400-nm-offshore
thedefensepost.com/2026/05/07/martac-devil-ray-autonomous-mission
https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/3576761/exercise-digital-talon-advances-unmanned-lethality-at-sea/
saildrone.com/missions/usn-4th-fleet-integration
defensescoop.com/2026/01/15/navy-drones-surface-fleet-unmanned-systems-sna
tectonicdefense.com/saronic-raises-1-75b-series-d
defensescoop.com/2026/01/15/navy-drones-surface-fleet-unmanned-systems-sna
breakingdefense.com/2026/06/navy-carrier-theodore-roosevelt-drone-seahawk-deployment
https://www.navy.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=4201&Article=4288073
defensedaily.com/saronics-marauder-musv-begins-water-trials/unmanned-systems
sandboxx.us/news/army-will-buy-3000-barracuda-500m-missiles-from-anduril-to-massively-boost-its-long-range-strike-capabilities
navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/06/saronic-and-castelion-to-demonstrate-first-of-its-kind-maritime-hypersonic-launch-capability
twz.com/air/u-s-navy-air-launched-version-of-cheap-blackbeard-hypersonic-missile-hinted-at
https://www.usff.navy.mil/press-room/news-stories/article/3288977/navy-and-industry-partners-complete-production-mk-18-unmanned-underwater-vehicl/
https://ndia.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2017/expwar/Kusumoto.pdf
navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/04/hii-delivers-initial-lionfish-uuv-to-u-s-navy-under-multi-year-program
wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-navy-sends-in-the-robots-to-clear-hormuz-of-mines-1c107caa
twz.com/news-features/huge-manta-ray-underwater-drone-looks-like-a-docked-star-wars-spaceship
