US Navy confirms first deployment of unmanned warship alongside aircraft carrier strike group.

On October 14, 2026, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao confirmed that the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group deployed from San Diego with the Leidos Seahawk medium unmanned surface vessel. The historic deployment marks the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group has integrated an ocean-going autonomous ship into active fleet operations. The deployment evaluates whether long-endurance autonomous vessels can sustain operational availability, communications, and navigation alongside conventional surface combatants during extended Pacific missions.

The U.S. Navy confirmed the first deployment of an unmanned surface vessel alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 16, 2026, ahead of Exercise Keen Sword 2027. (Picture sources: US Navy)

On October 14, 2026, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao confirmed that the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) had deployed with a medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV), later identified as the Leidos Seahawk USV, marking the first U.S. aircraft carrier strike group deployment including an ocean-going autonomous ship. The carrier departed San Diego on September 27 under Rear Admiral Marcos Jasso, heading toward the Western Pacific before a planned deployment to the Middle East. On October 16, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Chosin (CG-65), and USS Decatur (DDG-73) arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, ahead of Exercise Keen Sword 2027. The Seahawk, a 42-meter trimaran displacing 147 metric tonnes, joined the deployment after entering the operational fleet in April 2026 and participating in RIMPAC 2026. The deployment tests whether an unmanned vessel can maintain navigation, communications, replenishment, and operational availability throughout a carrier deployment.

The Seahawk originates from DARPA's Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program, launched in 2010 to develop autonomous ships capable of tracking diesel-electric submarines without continuously assigning destroyers or maritime patrol aircraft. In November 2012, Leidos received $59 million to develop the Sea Hunter, constructed by Christensen Shipyards and Vigor Industrial in Portland, Oregon. Christened on April 7, 2016, the Sea Hunter completed initial propulsion, maneuverability, stability, and fuel-consumption trials in June before transferring to the Office of Naval Research in February 2018. A separate $35.5 million contract awarded in December 2017 funded the Seahawk, incorporating more than 300 lessons concerning electrical systems, payload integration, and remote controls. Delivered on April 7, 2021, the Seahawk expanded the original submarine-tracking concept toward maritime surveillance and fleet operations, with the two development contracts totaling $94.5 million rather than establishing a recurring production price.

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According to available information, the Seahawk USV measures 41.1 to 42 meters, displaces 145 long tons (147.3 metric tonnes), and uses a composite trimaran hull with two outriggers to provide transverse stability. Its diesel propulsion system draws from a 53,000-liter fuel capacity, equivalent to 14,000 US gallons or 39.8 metric tonnes of diesel at a density of 0.75 kg/liter. Its predecessor, the Sea Hunter, reached 27 knots (50 km/h), cruised at 12 knots (22 km/h), and had a reference range of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km), equivalent to 34.7 days of continuous cruising. The original endurance objective extends from 30 to 90 days, with operation required in Sea State 5 and survival in Sea State 7, involving waves reaching 6.1 meters. The Seahawk's independently verified maximum speed, consumption with installed mission equipment, and deployment endurance remain unquantified, preventing direct application of Sea Hunter's performance figures.

The Seahawk likely operates through the Leidos Autonomous Vessel Architecture (LAVA), combining radar, optical sensors, route planning, propulsion control, and collision avoidance under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Predefined Keep Out Zones allow automatic course changes near restricted waters, while onboard computers execute routine navigation under remote human supervision. The Seahawk has demonstrated waypoint navigation without GPS, subsequently restoring satellite positioning without leaving its assigned track, although navigation error and interruption duration remain unspecified. Redundant communications paths support continued supervision when the primary connection fails, an important requirement for operations beyond direct radio range. These functions allow the Seahawk to navigate among commercial vessels and naval formations without continuous steering commands.

The Seahawk's deployment follows successive fleet experiments involving increasingly complex operations. The Sea Hunter completed initial trials between 2016 and 2018, while both vessels participated in RIMPAC-related activities in 2022. Integrated Battle Problem 23.1 and 23.2 in 2023 involved the Seahawk, Sea Hunter, Ranger, and Mariner USVs, including trans-Pacific movements and operations near Australia to examine communications and coordination among four unmanned ships. The Sea Hunter separately completed an autonomous transit exceeding 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 km) between Pearl Harbor and San Diego. During RIMPAC 2026, the USS Theodore Roosevelt personnel already operated the Seahawk near Hawaii before its deployment. Leidos has now accumulated more than 200,000 nautical miles (370,400 km) and 14,000 operating hours across its autonomous maritime systems, although these totals cannot establish the Seahawk's individual part or maintenance burden during months of carrier operations.

Underway replenishment remains a requirement for sustained autonomous operations. Therefore, in April 2026, the fleet oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200) refueled the Seahawk off Southern California, followed by a September 11 trial with the destroyer USS Chafee (DDG-90) in the Pacific. Both involved fuel transfer through a hose and personnel temporarily boarding the Seahawk, demonstrating replenishment compatibility rather than fully autonomous refueling. Using the Sea Hunter's reference range and 14,000-gallon capacity, theoretical consumption could average to 1.4 US gallons per nautical mile, or 403 gallons daily at 12 knots, although actual Seahawk consumption logically varies with speed, sea conditions, and electrical loads. Neither the transferred quantities nor the additional endurance obtained have been specified. Operationally, each replenishment requires escort maneuvering, personnel transfer, and logistical coordination, potentially diverting a destroyer from surveillance or defensive duties.

The Seahawk could potentially change U.S. carrier tactics by separating surveillance missions from the armed escorts protecting the formation. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer carries 90 or 96 Mk 41 vertical launch cells, depending on its flight configuration, alongside Aegis, sonar systems, and embarked helicopters, making its withdrawal from an assigned defensive sector operationally consequential. An unmanned vessel equipped with suitable sensors could instead monitor maritime approaches or suspected submarine operating areas while destroyers retain their air defense and engagement positions.

At the Sea Hunter's reference cruising speed of 12 knots, a USV can reposition 288 nautical miles (533 km) daily, although this does not establish its detection range. Acoustic surveillance could also support P-8A Poseidon aircraft and MH-60R helicopters by maintaining contact between localization attempts, while forward sensors could extend warning coverage beyond the carrier's immediate escorts. Nevertheless, these advantages depend on installed sensor performance, reliable communications, and target-track accuracy; to date, the Seahawk has not demonstrated an operational capability to independently engage submarines or surface targets.

NATO is also examining comparable roles through Baltic surveillance, North Atlantic anti-submarine operations, mine warfare, and distributed missile carriage. Task Force X-Baltic supported Operation Baltic Sentry with activities involving 70 aerial and maritime drones between March and October 2025, while eight Baltic countries agreed on February 12, 2026, to accelerate unmanned maritime surveillance. The British Royal Navy's Atlantic Bastion concept combines Type 26 frigates with unmanned vessels, and BALTOPS 2026 involved HMS Puncher, HMS Smiter, and U.S. Task Force 66 coordinating Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft over 180 nautical miles (333 km). REPMUS 2026 assembled 300 unmanned systems, more than 3,700 participants, and representatives of 36 navies.

Larger vessels could carry sonar arrays, mine-hunting vehicles, electronic warfare equipment, or containerized missiles, as explored under the U.S. Navy's Modular Attack Surface Craft initiative. Furthermore, the Ranger's 2021 SM-6 launch demonstrated unmanned missile carriage, although operational employment still requires external targeting, fire control integration, communications, and human authorization. The Seahawk's deployment will likely test a different requirement: whether an autonomous surveillance vessel can remain operational within a carrier strike group without consuming more escort time, maintenance capacity, and logistical support than its additional surveillance coverage justifies.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.