Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59 tested the combat capabilities of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) with the first live fire exercises in the Persian Gulf last month, the service said this week.
During Exercise Digital Talon on Oct. 23, Task Force 59 paired unmanned platforms with regular crewed ships for manned-unmanned teaming to identify and target simulated hostile sea forces, represented in a target boat.
Then the Navy used a separate unmanned platform to engage and destroy the targets.
The Navy said it specifically fired from the MARTAC T38 Devil Ray USV, equipped with a lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System during multiple firing events. The service said the vehicle scored direct hits in each firing event.
The engagement decisions were made by a human operator ashore with Naval Central Command Task Force 59’s Robotics Operations Center.
Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper underscored this was the second exercise in recent months demonstrating “advanced unmanned capabilities in the region.”
Previously, in September, unmanned underwater surface and aerial vehicles tracked Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ships and small boats over days during routine patrols around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Last month, we integrated 12 different unmanned platforms with manned ships for ‘manned-unmanned teaming’ operations to conduct enhanced maritime security operations in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula,” Cooper said in a statement.
Now with this Digital Talon event, he added that “we took a significant step forward and advanced our capability to the ‘next level’ beyond just maritime domain awareness, which has been a traditional focus with Task Force 59. We have proven these unmanned platforms can enhance fleet lethality.”
Cooper also said he expects this kind of unmanned vehicle progress to advance in scale and impact, including future exercises that will expand the group of combat-capable unmanned systems.
“I’m excited about the direction we’re headed,” he said.
Cooper previously said the U.S. forces have 20 USVs in the region as part of a 100-USV strong international force among partner countries to improve domain awareness.