Leidos autonomous vessels integrate into U.S. Navy strike groups

The Seahawk, a Medium Uncrewed Surface Vessel (MUSV), has become the first of its kind to operate within a carrier strike group. Its integration into the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s command-and-control structure allows for autonomous navigation, collision avoidance in accordance with international regulations, and GPS-denied maneuvering. These systems function using the Leidos Autonomous Vessel Architecture (LAVA), a modular software foundation designed to handle mission execution and obstacle avoidance across various platforms.

Simultaneously, the Sea Hunter vessel successfully completed a 2,000-nautical-mile voyage from Pearl Harbor to San Diego during the RIMPAC 2026 exercises. Throughout this mission, the vessel performed surveillance and manned-unmanned teaming operations as part of the broader naval force. According to Mike Rickels, Leidos senior vice president for Maritime, these real-world deployments provide critical performance data to refine autonomy for future missions. The company’s portfolio now encompasses over 200,000 nautical miles of autonomous operation, building on more than a decade of development that previously included the 2021 test-firing of an SM-6 missile from the MUSV Ranger.