FEINDEF 2025 | Seadrone's Sead 23 USV boosts Spanish Navy's autonomy with 5G integration and ISR capabilities.

At the 2025 edition of the International Defence and Security Exhibition (FEINDEF), held in Madrid, the Spanish company Seadrone presented its Sead 23 unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and its dedicated control console. The Sead 23’s presence at FEINDEF 2025 follows a series of operational deployments and evaluations conducted with the Spanish Navy in both national and NATO frameworks, which have shaped its current configuration and capabilities.
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The Sead 23 is a 6.95-meter-long unmanned vessel with a beam of 2.3 meters and a draft of 1.2 meters. It is powered by a 240-horsepower diesel engine coupled with a Hamilton waterjet propulsion system, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 33 knots. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

In 2024, the Spanish Navy formalized the acquisition of one Sead 23 USV from Seadrone for a contract amount of 1.1 million euros. According to the award notice, the contract is expected to be signed within two weeks, and the delivery deadline is set at twelve months. The system will be delivered to the naval base in Rota. The procurement was managed by the Navy’s Logistics Support Headquarters (JAL) and follows several years of joint trials with Seadrone. During this period, the Sead 23 was deployed aboard five different Navy ships—Juan Carlos I, Castilla, Santa María, Audaz, and Furor—and participated in over ten national and NATO exercises, including Flotex, Dynamic Messenger, and REPMUS. In 2023, the USV was evaluated aboard the Juan Carlos I as part of the Dédalo expeditionary group during Exercise Baltops in the Baltic Sea.

The Sead 23 is a 6.95-meter-long unmanned vessel with a beam of 2.3 meters and a draft of 1.2 meters. It is powered by a 240 hp diesel engine and a Hamilton waterjet propulsion system, reaching speeds of up to 33 knots. With a payload capacity of 600 kg and a ten-day endurance at 4 knots, the system is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including coastal reconnaissance, bathymetry, anti-submarine warfare, target detection and tracking, escort duties, and sensor deployment. The platform supports modular payload integration, including gyro-stabilized optronic sensors, radars, deployable hydrophones, a 7.62 mm remote weapon station, lightweight torpedoes, and electronic warfare systems. The Sead 23 has been tested in sea states with 1.5-meter waves while operating at 30 knots. It is optionally manned and was designed from the outset as a USV rather than adapted from a conventional vessel. During REPMUS 21, the Sead 23 demonstrated a reduced radar cross-section, serving as a target undetected by UAVs, other USVs, and manned ships.

The system's communications capabilities include dual communication channels via 4G and 5G networks, with operational control maintained within a 12-nautical-mile range using radio links. Its sensors include a high-resolution piloting camera with night vision and 20x zoom, a gyro-stabilized electro-optical turret with 36x optical and 12x digital zoom, a solid-state radar with multi-target tracking, a bi-frequency sonar, a multibeam sonar, AIS, and a multiparametric meteorological and motion sensor suite. The Sead 23 supports ISR, REA, and SAR missions, and can deploy rescue gear such as life jackets, flares, infrared beacons, and visual markers to assist in locating distressed individuals or signaling positions at sea.

Seadrone has developed five different USV platforms between 3 and 10 meters in length since its foundation in 2016. The Sead 23 is the most experienced Spanish USV in terms of operational integration with the Navy and participation in multinational exercises. It took part in the 2019 Ocean 2020 exercise aboard the frigate Santa María, and in REPMUS and Dynamic Messenger 2022 aboard the BAM Audaz. In February 2024, the Sead 23 became the first USV operated within a 5G cloud infrastructure installed by Telefónica and Atika on the amphibious ship Castilla. This 5G system enabled remote control from the vessel’s Combat Information Center. In REPMUS 23, the Sead 23 collaborated with the Spanish Hydrographic Institute and NATO’s GEOMETOC center to conduct precision bathymetric measurements using new sensors and systems provided by Kongsberg.

The Sead 23’s hull and architecture were designed to optimize stealth and seakeeping, with most of the deck kept clear and a foldable mast used for mounting sensors and other mission systems. This mast can be lowered remotely to facilitate launch and recovery. The vehicle includes Kevlar-armored zones and a high-resistance fender for protection. Its operational performance has included navigation at 30 knots during continuous 12-hour missions, integration with optronic and radar sensors for target tracking from 12 nautical miles, and the ability to operate independently for extended durations. The Sead 23 was also tested during the Dédalo-23 exercise for missions involving coastal mapping, intelligence collection, surveillance, and acting as an asymmetric maritime threat.

Founded in Vigo, Seadrone has taken part in the Civil UAVs Initiative led by the Xunta de Galicia between 2016 and 2022, acting as a technical partner to Indra. Within this initiative, the company developed the Mar Dos USV with integrated 4G communications and a ROV with side-scan sonar. In 2018, Seadrone first implemented the Yanmar diesel engine and Hamilton waterjet in an unmanned platform for search and rescue purposes. The camouflage pattern applied to the Sead 23, reminiscent of World War II-era dazzle paint, was later used on the Royal Navy’s HMS Tamar. The paint scheme, in grey and white, was adopted after being demonstrated during REPMUS 21 in Troia.

The Spanish Navy has also created the Centro de Experimentación y Vehículos No Tripulados de la Armada (CEVENTA), with the goal of evaluating unmanned systems and defining their operational procedures and doctrine. Alongside the Sead 23, the Navy operates other unmanned systems including the Kunai USV from Utek, the Airfox UAV from Marine Instruments, and the Sparus UUV from Iqua Robotics. The Sead 23 will continue to be evaluated during upcoming exercises, including new editions of Flotex, REPMUS, and Dynamic Messenger.