Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) drones are likely to play an increasing role in naval warfare in the Indo-Pacific, as a recent exercise in the Philippines showed.

The US Army recently used autonomous surface vessels (USVs) drones to escort a Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) into the port of Casiguran in the Philippines, marking a new milestone in its unmanned capabilities.

The escort, which came during the Army’s annual Salaknib exercises on the east coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon, began roughly 6 miles from the port, supporting the movement of Philippine personnel and armored vehicles over more than 260 miles. Soldiers recovered the USVs after the missions.

Why USVs Are Powerful Low-Risk Forward Scouts

The USVs involved in this mission did not serve as armed attack craft. Instead, the boats acted as forward scouts, with a mission set that included intelligence collection, surveillance, reconnaissance, obstacle detection, environmental monitoring, and the transmission of real-time information back to commanders ashore. According to the Army, onboard sensors allowed the vessels to autonomously navigate while continuously updating their operating picture. 

These autonomous escorts are significant. Traditionally, an amphibious or logistics vessel entering an unfamiliar habra places soldiers and expensive platforms at risk. But using unmanned boats allows commanders to inspect approaches, identify hazards, detect suspicious activity, and reduce the risk to personnel. All before larger ships arrive. The concept basically pushes the recon screen farther forward without exposing sailors or soldiers.

Army officials emphasized that the USVs shorten the military decision cycle, meaning that instead of waiting for manned recon reports, the USVs stream sensor data continuously allowing commanders to receive near real-time situational awareness. This potentially reduces the time required to ID threats from hours to minutes—and possibly seconds as USVs improve over time. 

USVs Are Useful for Monotonous Work in the Indo-Pacific

The USV demonstration fits into a broader trend of unmanned maritime operations.

The US Navy has stated it expects its fleet of medium unmanned surface vessels to expand significantly by 2030. That growth accompanies thousands of smaller unmanned surface craft, unmanned aerial systems, autonomous underwater vehicles—all being incorporated into near-future force structures. Rather than replacing traditional ships, however, these autonomous systems are intended to extend sensing, scouting and networking capabilities. 

The emergence of autonomous systems is especially important now, as the US pivots to the Indo-Pacific and prepares to fight in its sprawling geography. Because of the region’s long coastlines, dispersed islands, narrow straits, and contested littoral waters, USVs are ideally suited for patrolling these environments for extended periods while reducing the demand for larger crewed vessels. And for logistics missions, especially those supporting dispersed island operations, USVs offer an additional layer of security without significantly increasing manpower requirements.

How Could USVs Be Used in a Shooting War?

USV technology has the potential to support a wide variety of missions. Potential future roles include electronic warfare, communications relay, mine reconnaissance, decoy operations, maritime domain awareness, and swarming operations alongside larger naval formations. And as autonomous software improves, these platforms could assume increasingly complex responsibilities. 

The recent exercise illustrates how unmanned systems are steadily moving from experimental to operational assets. USVS are moving from niche platforms to force multipliers, allowing commanders to project maritime awareness farther ahead of manned formations. Indeed, USVs are beginning to accompany routine logistics and amphibious missions, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

As the US military prepares for operations across increasingly contested maritime environments, relatively inexpensive autonomous boats may become a common first line of reconnaissance—allowing commanders to gather info and reduce risk before committing larger, crewed vessels to the fight.  

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com.

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