Overview
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed Wednesday that the Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group is sailing with the Leidos-built Seahawk, the first large unmanned surface vessel to deploy with a U.S. carrier group.
- The Seahawk is a medium-displacement autonomous ship reported to be about 135–145 tons and 42 meters long that moved from experimental status into the fleet earlier this year and operated with the Roosevelt during RIMPAC.
- The Navy calls the deployment a prototype test to gain practical experience integrating a large USV with a carrier strike group and describes the vessel as a potential “force multiplier,” while specific mission roles and any armament remain undisclosed.
- The strike group's voyage from San Diego to the Pacific and likely transit toward the Middle East is presented by officials as providing more operational options related to possible action on Iran.
- The deployment builds on recent use of other unmanned systems — a Corsair USV rescue in June and UUVs clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz — and will shape doctrine, logistics and crew workloads as the Navy evaluates larger, attritable surface drones.