U.S. Tests More Than 35 Autonomous Systems for Future Indo-Pacific Naval Warfare.

Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 has launched more than 35 experiments that embed unmanned systems and emerging technologies into multinational naval operations around Hawaii. The trials will help determine how autonomous capabilities could strengthen future U.S. and allied maritime operations across the Indo-Pacific.

Rather than evaluating individual drones in controlled environments, RIMPAC 2026 integrates autonomous systems into realistic fleet operations involving allied warships, aircraft and submarines. The experiments combine persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, aerial threat detection, shipboard additive manufacturing, autonomous logistics and undersea warfare to assess whether these technologies can support distributed maritime operations while remaining fully interoperable with conventional naval forces and coalition command networks.

Related News: US Navy conducts first GARC kamikaze sea drone strike on USS Peleliu in RIMPAC 2026 SINKEX exercise

Digitally crewed surface vessel delivers parts for the 3D printer aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, July 7, 2026 (Picture source: US DoD)

The exercise brings together 30 nations, more than 30,000 personnel, 31 surface ships, five submarines, and over 190 aircraft. Participants conduct more than 500 maritime events and 2,400 sorties while addressing over 5,000 scenario-based tactical problems. This density requires experimental systems to share operating space, communications and procedures with crewed platforms rather than operate as separate demonstrations. It also exposes constraints related to multinational coordination, data circulation, and the maintenance of logistical support across an extended area.

On July 29, 2026, an official briefing organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub brought together Vice Adm. Jeffrey T. Jablon, commander of Combined Task Force RIMPAC, Japanese Rear Adm. Takuo Kobayashi and South Korean Rear Adm. In-ho Kim. Jablon confirmed that more than 35 experiments had been incorporated into the exercise but did not provide a complete list. Several military publications released during RIMPAC nevertheless identify the main groups of systems employed.

The most developed area concerns logistics. Marines manufacture parts at sea with additive manufacturing equipment before a digitally crewed surface vessel transports them to a U.S. Navy ship. The same craft subsequently delivers drone components to the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Lab for assembly and testing at Makua. The full sequence from production to operational testing is completed in less than 24 hours. The Joint Advanced Manufacturing System receives manufacturing requests, assigns production to different nodes, and tracks components through delivery, connecting the physical movement of parts with a digital coordination layer. A Typhoon unmanned surface vessel also approaches USS Essex and autonomously enters its well deck, demonstrating that an uncrewed platform can use an interface already available aboard an amphibious ship.

Maritime surveillance includes the Saildrone Surveyor SD-3001, which departs Pearl Harbor on July 8 to participate in the maritime phase. The U.S. Navy states that autonomous and remotely operated vessels extend the sensor coverage provided by crewed platforms within the multinational force, adding further collection nodes without assigning another crewed ship. In the undersea domain, the Pacific Submarine Force announces the integration of autonomous underwater vehicles intended to simulate intelligence, surveillance, and targeting missions in contested areas. No specific vehicle type has been publicly identified.

U.S. Navy Saildrone Surveyor (SD-3001) uncrewed surface vehicle departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, July 8, 2026 (Picture source: US DoD)

At Schofield Barracks, the Naval Postgraduate School and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific test spectral imaging sensors and 3D-printed rockets. The sensors are intended to detect unmanned aircraft through their signatures, while the rockets provide the interception element. Authorities disclose neither their range nor their guidance method, preventing a detailed assessment of the engagement envelope. The experiment nonetheless produces a verifiable result: a counter-unmanned aircraft sequence combines specialized detection equipment with effectors manufactured through additive processes in an operational environment.

These trials take place alongside strike systems already in service. Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade fire Spike Non-Line of Sight missiles against the former USS Mobile Bay. The Australian destroyer HMAS Sydney employs a Naval Strike Missile, while MH-60R helicopters launch four AGM-114N Hellfire missiles. The destroyers JS Kongo and ESPS Alvaro de Bazan fire Harpoon missiles against USS Peleliu. This combination has tactical relevance. Autonomous platforms are not replacing heavy effectors, but are expected to extend sensor coverage, provide targeting inputs, and support their operational availability.

For U.S. strategy in the Pacific, RIMPAC 2026 tests an architecture based on dispersing capabilities rather than concentrating them around a small number of major warships. Surface and underwater drones increase surveillance persistence, while additive manufacturing and autonomous delivery reduce dependence on long and exposed logistics chains. Integration with allied sensors, missiles, and command staffs turns each partner into a potential node for support or engagement. In a theater defined by distance, threats to fixed bases and contested communications, the intended advantage depends as much on the resilience of the multinational network as on weapon range.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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