Key facts
- The Pentagon may expand its use of autonomous surveillance boats on the Rio Grande and in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The pilot program began in January and has helped detect and deter illegal border crossings and narcotics trafficking.
- The unmanned surface vessels are built by San Diego-based startup Seasats.
- Defense officials are studying whether the solar-powered boats could be deployed more widely.
- The current test group consists of 10 vessels, with plans to increase by up to 50.
- The Lightfish drones have assisted in an average of 452 detections, 350 apprehensions, and 100 turnbacks per month.
The US Pentagon is considering expanding its use of autonomous surveillance boats, described as canoe-sized, to enhance border security along the Rio Grande and in the Gulf of Mexico. These unmanned surface vessels, initiated in a pilot program in January, have proven effective in detecting and deterring illegal border crossings and narcotics trafficking.
The initiative highlights a broader trend in the military and law enforcement to adopt relatively inexpensive, autonomous systems for surveillance and security. Defense officials are evaluating the deployment of these solar-powered boats, which can operate for extended periods without crews, to monitor remote areas of the Rio Grande. The goal is to increase the fleet from the current 10 vessels to as many as 50, thereby reducing the strain on traditional Coast Guard cutters and crewed aircraft.
M. Roosevelt Ditlevson, assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, stated that these drones offer cost-effective solutions for interdicting areas increasingly used by traffickers. The success of similar drones in Ukraine has spurred their proliferation across the US military. Seasats' 11-foot Lightfish vessel, costing approximately $240,000, can operate for months at a time and is equipped with sensors that feed real-time data into military software networks, alerting relevant agencies.
In a typical month, these drones have assisted in hundreds of detections, apprehensions, and turnbacks. The technology gained attention when a Lightfish vessel captured close-up video of a Chinese naval destroyer within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Future expansions could see the fleet grow by 50 boats and potentially operate in the Gulf of Mexico, forming a surveillance network. Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan emphasized the persistent coverage offered by uncrewed systems, contrasting it with the limited operational duration of manned aircraft or ships.