Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray unmanned underwater vehicle is pictured during at-sea testing in 2024. Naval

Naval drones: typology, capabilities, and the next naval paradigm

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 […]