From experiment to imperative: Uncrewed surface vessels and the future of Indo‑Pacific security

I was the innovation officer for the Enterprise CSG and worked closely with the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center to turn the admiral’s vision into reality. Within a few months, the Spartan Scout USV was integrated into the USS Gettysburg and deployed to the Persian Gulf for what was believed to be the US Navy’s first operational USV employment. Spartan Scout conducted remotely operated maritime intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Fast forward about 20 years to early 2022; the start of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, which included a large maritime component. As a US naval attache in Europe, I worked closely with my Ukrainian counterpart to support Ukraine’s sovereign defences. Within weeks of hostilities starting, he described Ukraine’s intent to develop and employ lethality-capable USVs into the fight. Again, this vision became a reality. The Russian fleet was engaged by USVs on multiple occasions and was held at risk by a relatively nascent and emerging capability. Cross domain capability was also established for USV deployment with Ukraine fielding a surface-to-air capability from USVs, and a Russian submarine hit and damaged by another USV.

More recently at the 2026 Surface Navy Association event, US Navy leadership made a milestone announcement on plans to deploy two autonomous medium USVs (MUSV) into an upcoming Strike Group deployment to enhance surveillance and undersea warfare capabilities. Having recently retired from US Navy service and now working in USV development at Leidos, this announcement was incredibly inspiring.

Spanning more than a quarter century, these moments share a common thread of sustained commitment to the maturation of USVs with the strong belief they will significantly improve operational maritime capabilities. This is especially important in the Indo-Pacific.

The Indo-Pacific’s maritime security landscape is being challenged more rigorously than at any time in recent memory, with Australia facing mounting expectations about its role. The question of national security in the maritime domain is timely. Specifically, how can Australia expand its maritime presence, increase maritime persistence, and affordably field new weapon systems across one of the world’s most vast and strategically contested regions? Among maritime experts, the answer increasingly involves the use of USVs as part of Australia’s future hybrid naval fleet.

Having been directly involved in the delivery of Leidos’ first Australian-built USV, Sea Archer, I can say that the mission potential of today’s uncrewed vessels is significant and continues to grow.

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The US Navy’s rapid advancement in this domain offers a powerful case study. Its embrace of uncrewed systems is not new. Its experimentation with autonomous and semiautonomous vessels stretches back decades, laying the groundwork for today’s rapidly accelerating operational deployment.

Now, it has expanded its fleet from four small USVs to hundreds and established dedicated uncrewed divisions, and soon, Leidos’ designed and built MUSVs, Seahawk and Sea Hunter, will be integrated directly into fleet operations, including carrier strike groups. These platforms and the autonomy technology behind them represent a mature, operationally tested capability with potential for scalability and strategic impact. They provide opportunity to increase the Naval Order of Battle, field lethality capabilities, and increase maritime deterrence against would-be adversaries.

Australia has the opportunity to align with this approach. Investing in uncrewed capabilities represents a calculated strategic decision. There are strong foundations already in place, including existing in-country technology and knowledge, and the potential to establish a sovereign supply chain. Supporting this ambition is an Australian-built option in Leidos’ Sea Archer.

Modern naval operations demand persistence, reach and deterrence at a level that traditional crewed vessels cannot deliver alone. Built from the ground up with an accelerated development timeline, Sea Archer has been designed specifically for the vast, challenging and strategically vital waters of our region. With the potential to achieve a top speed of 40 knots, endurance of up to 1,500 nautical miles, modularity and autonomy, Sea Archer is designed to perform ISR, contested logistics, kinetic strike and border protection missions.

With a rugged aluminium hull and modular design, it has been built locally with a sovereign supply chain and is engineered to support scalable production across multiple Australian boatyards. This distributed approach is intended to help Australia grow a USV fleet more rapidly than traditional shipbuilding cycles typically allow. It’s an accessible, scalable and deployable solution well poised to illustrate how uncrewed systems can meet emerging maritime needs.

Delivering this capability in Australia, for Australia, demands more than an innovative platform. It requires a deep understanding of the full capability delivery system. Transitioning an uncrewed surface vessel from rapid design to operational service involves navigating complex regulatory approval pathways, embedding safety-by-design principles, achieving cyber accreditation, conducting rigorous test and evaluation, and securing sustained investment across each stage of maturity. These assurance, certification and sustainment considerations are fundamental to enabling a USV capability to move beyond demonstration and into credible, enduring service in support of the Future Integrated Capability.

When integrated effectively, USVs extend sensing, patrol, strike support and logistics reach without placing sailors in harm’s way, freeing major fleet assets for higher-end missions while filling critical gaps in surveillance and presence. That kind of scalable persistence is essential to maintaining deterrence and operational advantage across the Indo‑Pacific.

While it can be rapidly built and the technology is ready, some argue that trust in AI-powered capabilities and operational decision making remains a barrier. Certainly, trust in automation is central, so is understanding capabilities and limitations. That’s why maintaining human oversight command for USVs is important, not only to build confidence but ensuring mission/operational agility. After all, the strategic use of uncrewed platforms is about extending and enhancing our maritime capabilities.

USVs are coming of age, and we must embrace this critical evolution point to harness next-generation capabilities. With maritime competition accelerating across our region, the real question isn’t whether Australia should adopt uncrewed surface vessels, but how quickly we are prepared to transform into a hybrid fleet with crewed and uncrewed vessels working together.

Fielding new “kit” is just the start. Developing new tactics, techniques and procedures, revising rules of engagement, and updating rapid deployment procedures are all examples of legacy topics that need to be refreshed.

The next milestones in the evolution of USVs have not yet been determined. However, it’s highly likely the Indo-Pacific region will be the genesis of those next innovations. Australia is well positioned to lean forward and take a naval leadership role in the next chapter.

Kevin “Q” Quarderer is a former US naval attaché to Australia and an international science and technology director for Leidos Australia.