U.S. Army soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division tested a swarm of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines earlier this month.
According to a U.S. Army news release, the USVs were deployed in Casiguran Sound in northeastern Luzon on June 10 to guard a U.S. Army logistics vessel transporting Philippine Army armored vehicles and personnel along a 260-mile route.
“We deployed the autonomous intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance boats to provide security for landing craft,” said Pvt. Caleb Hannah, a soldier from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. “They escorted the LSV (Logistics Support Vessel) to port from about six miles out, allowing Philippine vehicles to roll onto the dock.”
War Department imagery shows the Army deploying HavocAI’s Rampage autonomous surface vessels during the operation. An infographic from the U.S. defense firm indicates the swarming unmanned boats are solar-powered and built for maritime domain awareness missions.
U.S. Army soldiers tested autonomous unmanned surface vessels during Exercise Salaknib 2026 in the Philippines. The USVs operated ahead of a U.S. Army Logistics Support Vessel, providing escort and maritime security during troop and equipment movements.
Via Defense News pic.twitter.com/f37ZveqJfX
— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) June 22, 2026
According to the U.S. Army, the USVs, operated by U.S. soldiers from the 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, functioned autonomously while transmitting situational data to commanders overseeing the exercise from shore.
“As the vessel transited Casiguran Sound, the autonomous boats spread across a wide perimeter, continuously monitoring the maritime environment and relaying information to onshore personnel,” reads an Army news release on the exercise.
“These boats provide situational awareness to commanders with their ability to find, fix, target, kill and confirm. With the information the USV provides, the commander’s decision-making process has been compressed from hours to seconds,” the U.S. Army further said.
Maritime security, unmanned
During #Salaknib 26 in Casiguran, Philippines, Soldiers assigned to 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, deployed unmanned surface vessels to support maritime security operations.
The autonomous boats moved… pic.twitter.com/srRKuOCHcm
— Nigerian Trump🇮🇱🇳🇬🇱🇷🇿🇦🇬🇧 (@Amblojiggy) June 22, 2026
The U.S. Army said the maritime screen mission highlighted the growing role of autonomous technologies in future military operations.
“Rather than relying solely on manned platforms, commanders can use multiple autonomous vessels operating simultaneously to maintain persistent awareness across large maritime areas,” it noted.
The demonstration comes as the U.S. military expands its unmanned maritime fleet across the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this month, the U.S. deployed a USV to assist in the recovery of two Army soldiers after their helicopter went down off the coast of Oman.
In that incident, a U.S. Navy “Corsair” unmanned surface vessel operated by 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 supported the search and recovery effort. At the time, U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said Task Force 59 had begun fielding naval drones in the region in late March.
Earlier this year, a Navy official said the service expects its medium unmanned surface vessel fleet to grow from about four in April to more than 30 by 2030, alongside thousands of smaller USVs and unmanned aircraft systems.
