The US wants to equip unmanned ships with Tomahawk missiles

US company Saildrone received an investment of up to 50 million USD to produce unmanned ships capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.

On October 29, US defense corporation Lockheed Martin announced a $50 million investment agreement for the manufacturer of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) Saildrone, in which the Surveyor model will be improved to carry a four-tube launcher capable of launching JAGM missiles or anti-ship missiles.

Measuring 22 metres in length, Surveyor is an autonomous unmanned vessel dedicated to gathering intelligence and scientific data, powered by solar, wind and diesel power.

Measuring 22 metres in length, Surveyor is an autonomous unmanned vessel dedicated to gathering intelligence and scientific data, powered by solar, wind and diesel power.

Lockheed Martin will work with Saildrone to accelerate the design and production of a larger vehicle capable of carrying long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and sonar to detect submarines.

Saildrone will build the ship, while Lockheed Martin will integrate the equipment. The two sides plan to conduct live-fire demonstrations in 2026.

Tomahawk is a subsonic cruise missile manufactured by the RTX Corporation in the US, designed to attack ground targets with high precision. Each missile costs about 2 million USD, reaching a range of 1,600-2,500 km depending on the version. The missile usually carries a 400-450 kg warhead with the option of high explosive to destroy fortified targets or cluster munitions to neutralize large amounts of enemy equipment.

The US Navy has been using Saildrone's USVs for reconnaissance missions since 2021. The company's vehicles have traveled a total of about 3.7 million kilometers during the mission.

The announcement comes as the Pentagon looks for ways to counter China's navy in the Pacific , as well as learn from Ukraine's use of unmanned boats to attack Russian warships.

In the “Big, Beautiful Act” signed into law in July, the Trump administration allocated about $5 billion to the field of unmanned maritime vehicles and maritime robots, and many American companies are competing to benefit from this money.

Giant SUV Surveyor maps the seafloor.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/my-muon-trang-bi-ten-lua-tomahawk-cho-tau-khong-nguoi-lai-post2149065159.html