Naval drones are no longer monolithic systems or one-off prototypes. They now encompass a full ecosystem of unmanned platforms: surface vehicles (USVs), subsurface drones (UUVs/AUVs), and swarming systems. Each category comes with unique capabilities, mission profiles, and industrial suppliers.
To understand how unmanned maritime systems are transforming naval operations, we must start with a clear technical and operational typology.
Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs)
These are autonomous or remotely operated craft navigating on the water’s surface, typically between 3 and 15 meters in length.
Their main capabilities include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), using EO/IR sensors, radar, or AIS spoofing modules. They can also conduct strike missions with kamikaze payloads or launchers for small munitions. In mine countermeasures (MCM), they tow sonar arrays or deploy UUVs. Finally, they can perform electronic warfare (EW) through jamming or deception packages aimed at anti-ship radars.
Propulsion methods vary: some use gasoline outboards such as the MAGURA V5, others rely on electric systems for stealth operations as seen in the MANTAS series, and certain platforms use jet drives to combine high speed with low draft entry.
Examples include the MANTAS T-Series from Martac in the United States, used for ISR and patrol missions; Ukraine’s MAGURA V5, a strike platform with an estimated range of up to 600 km depending on payload and conditions; and Israel’s Seagull from Elbit, designed for mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare, with sonar payloads and small torpedoes.
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs / AUVs)
These are submersible drones that can operate either autonomously (AUVs) or tethered (ROVs/UUVs). They are capable of long-duration missions below the surface.
Their roles include ISR and seabed mapping, mine detection and disposal, protection or sabotage of underwater infrastructure, as well as covert strike and reconnaissance missions.
Propulsion is generally provided by battery-electric systems, either lithium-based or hybrid. Many use magnetically silent brushless motors, while long-range AUVs often rely on glider-style wings for energy-efficient motion.
Payloads can include side-scan or synthetic aperture sonars, chemical sensors, or explosive charges for kamikaze roles.
Examples include the D-19 from Naval Group in France, a modular AUV for deep-sea ISR; the REMUS series by HII in the United States, used by the US Navy for naval special operations and mine countermeasures; and Ukraine’s Maritchka, a low-cost experimental kamikaze AUV currently undergoing testing for strategic missions.
Autonomous swarm systems
This category refers to multi-drone coordination using AI, edge computing, and collaborative autonomy. These systems operate in groups to execute distributed missions.
They are characterized by networked communication, real-time sensor fusion, and distributed decision-making with minimal centralized control, often under human-in-the-loop or on-the-loop architectures. They also provide operational redundancy through self-healing mesh behavior.
Applications include area denial and saturation attacks, cooperative ISR, multi-angle deception or jamming, and mass kamikaze strikes designed to overwhelm critical targets.
Examples include the Anduril Ghost Fleet from the United States, which integrates unmanned surface and aerial platforms under AI-enabled command and control; the British Project Proteus, developed by BAE Systems, which focuses on swarming USVs for maritime patrol and defense; and Ukraine’s custom swarm operations against Sevastopol, which combine USVs with UAVs in coordinated attacks.
Article 1. Naval drone warfare: a new era in maritime operations
Article 2. Ukraine’s naval drone tactics: redefining sea power through improvisation
