Our Contribution
APL, in collaboration with the Naval Air Warfare Center Port Hueneme Weapons Division, led a swarming uncrewed surface vehicle demonstration of advanced multivehicle autonomy at tactically relevant speeds. We developed a “plug and play” kit that converts any Navy high-speed maneuverable surface boat into an autonomous, uncrewed vehicle—as well as the autonomy control segments to enable a six-vehicle, open-water demonstration at speeds faster than 40 knots. The demonstration included tactical situations such as bad-actor engagement and coordinated attack scenarios—illustrating a potential leap-ahead capability the Navy can use to address a range of operational challenges.