Drones and Unmanned Systems - Air, Sea, Land, Micro & Robot Systems

WASHINGTON -- Fincantieri Marine Group, the U.S. subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri, is partnering with Saildrone to construct Spectre, a new class of multi-mission uncrewed surface vessel (USV). Construction of the new Spectre USVs will take place at Fincantieri’s system of shipyards in Wisconsin, with initial sea trials for the first vessel scheduled for early 2027.

At approximately 52 meters in length, with a displacement of around 250 tons and a top speed of up to 30 knots, Spectre is an aluminium-hulled, medium-sized USV (MUSV) designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and other naval roles. Spectre, similar to Saildrone’s Voyager and Surveyor models, uses wind, solar, and diesel power for propulsion. It features twin shaftlines with both electric and diesel engines, allowing it to operate quietly on electric power at speeds up to 12 knots.

The new MUSV comes in two variants: the Spectre Silent Endurance, which employs a Saildrone wing and is geared for anti-submarine warfare and other acoustically sensitive missions, and the Spectre Stealth Strike, which doesn’t have a wing and is designed to accommodate higher sprint speeds and features a lower-profile configuration for kinetic strike roles.

Spectre’s announcement follows the creation of the U.S. Navy’s new MUSV marketplace, which seeks to acquire USVs quickly by focusing on production-ready, mission-capable platforms already in the MUSV space.

Source: Fincantieri
Associated URL: https://www.fincantieri.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026/fincantieri-to-build-spectre-a-new-class-of-high-speed-unmanned-surface-vessel

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- On April 21, 2026, HII announced plans for the production of four ROMULUS 151 unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana, in addition to the ROMULUS 151 currently under construction. The announcement comes as HII pushes to accelerate delivery of autonomous surface capability to the U.S. Navy and allied partners.

ROMULUS is a modular family of USVs designed to support a wide range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), mine countermeasures (MCM), strike operations, counter-unmanned systems (C-UAS), and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

In March 2026, HII released a plan outlining an expanded ROMULUS assembly facility at Breaux Brothers and introduced HYPR as HII’s initiative to apply industrial robotics and digital quality systems to unmanned platform manufacturing. By integrating automation, advanced tooling, and standardized workflows, HII aims to reduce unit costs, improve schedule predictability, and enable program-level delivery of unmanned systems aligned with evolving fleet needs.

Source: HII
Associated URL: https://www.hii.com/news/hii-accelerates-romulus-usv-program-four-new-romulus-vessels-head-into-production

WASHINGTON -- Rheinmetall’s new Naval Systems division has partnered with British joint venture partner Kraken Technology Group to reach series production of the Kraken K3 Scout in Hamburg, Germany. The joint venture established in 2025 now operates under the name Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH.

The initial production rate of the Kraken K3 Scout is expected to be around 200 units per year, depending on order volume. According to Rheinmetall, production can scale up to as many as 1,000 units annually.

The K3 Scout is a low-signature, autonomous USV designed for use in defence, commercial, or humanitarian applications. Depending on the configuration, the USVs can be used for maritime surveillance, protection of critical infrastructure, or as weapons carriers in military operations. The K3 Scout measures 8.4 metres in length and is reportedly capable of speeds of up to 55 knots.

Source: Naval News
Associated URL: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/04/rheinmetall-kraken-gmbh-launches-series-production-of-usv-in-hamburg/