U.S. Navy Tests Out Unmanned Boats for Recovering Downed Pilots

MARTAC T-24 unmanned boat carrying its own unmanned underwater vehicle (U.S. Navy)

PUBLISHED JUN 15, 2023 9:47 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The U.S. Navy is using the annual BALTOPS exercise in the Baltic to test out new applications for unmanned systems, including a novel idea to use an unmanned boat for saving downed pilots who end up in the water.

The “Joint Personnel Recovery” scenario usually involves sending a manned force to find and rescue the pilot from a hostile area. Instead, 6th Fleet personnel tested out the idea of sending a USV out to the distressed pilot instead, recovering them and bringing them back to safety – all unmanned, and remotely controlled from a nearby vessel. It may be the first time that this particular application for a USV has been tested.

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