Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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The Pentagon is considering expanding the use of uncrewed boats for surveillance operations on the Rio Grande and in the Gulf of Mexico following successful tests of autonomous maritime systems.

The Pentagon is evaluating the wider deployment of Lightfish vessels developed by Seasats. The uncrewed boats have been used since January to detect illegal border crossings and drug trafficking activities.

Ten such vessels are currently involved in the testing program. The US Department of Defense is considering increasing the number by an additional 50 vessels.

According to Pentagon data, the drones have helped detect an average of 452 illegal border-crossing incidents per month, led to the detention of 350 people and helped prevent approximately 100 attempts to cross the border illegally.

The uncrewed boats are equipped with electro-optical, infrared and hydroacoustic sensors, allowing them to monitor their assigned patrol areas for extended periods.

The systems are designed to operate without onboard crews, potentially allowing US authorities to maintain persistent surveillance over border and maritime areas while reducing the need to deploy personnel directly on patrol vessels.

The Pentagon's consideration of expanding the program comes as US authorities continue to explore autonomous technologies for border surveillance and maritime security operations.