The US Navy has used unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to help intercept a cocaine shipment worth more than $81 million in the Caribbean, highlighting the growing operational role of autonomous systems in maritime security.
Two Voyager USVs built by California-based Saildrone tracked a vessel of interest and coordinated with naval forces, enabling a US Navy ship to intercept the suspect craft and seize the illegal cargo.
According to Saildrone, Voyager is the only USV to maintain continuous operations with the navy’s Fourth Fleet, which oversees the Caribbean and parts of the Atlantic and Pacific around Central and South America.
Read the full story on our new publication, The Drone Front: Drone Boats Help US Navy Nab $81M Cocaine Shipment in Caribbean
