Lightfish USV completes fastest transatlantic crossing

Scientists with the US Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic’s Unmanned Naval Innovation Team (UNIT) reached a milestone on September 9 when they recovered the Navy-sponsored unmanned surface vessel (USV) Lightfish in Troia, Portugal, following its solo transatlantic crossing. The fully autonomous vessel completed the journey in just over two months, nearly 12 days faster than the last known attempt.

UNIT engineers launched Lightfish, a solar-powered, low-profile USV designed for endurance missions, from Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, in late June. After systems checks and christening, the vessel departed on its 4,000-mile voyage. The vessel operated without human contact for more than 60 days, monitored remotely through cameras, software, and telemetry. Engineers maintained command and control across multiple Navy numbered fleets.

🎤 “With the launch of this small, unmanned surface vessel, we’re pushing the boundaries for what we can do with maritime domain awareness,” said Michael Grass, UNIT lead scientist and program manager. “No one has been on the water for this long of a journey. So, it’s a big proof of concept, not only for the reliance and durability of the platform itself but for testing the rigor of the data architecture.”

🎤 “Lightfish’s successful crossing highlighted not only its durability but also the Navy’s progress in harnessing unmanned systems to enhance maritime domain awareness,” said Eric Stephenson, UNIT lead systems engineer.

🎤 “Every nautical mile that Lightfish sailed autonomously and every data packet that was transmitted back helped push us closer to operationalizing a global unmanned fleet architecture,” added David Bate, NIWC Atlantic engineer.

📃📷 Source: Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic