Pentagon Tests Breakthrough Dual-Purpose UnderSea Drone-Torpedo
Tthe Skelmir S6 drone weighs only 50-pounds and has a 6-inch diameter
Military-themed events
Kris Osborn · May 19, 2025
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
Swarms of cylindrical undersea torpedo-drones may soon blanket threat areas with acoustic surveillance, send real-time threat data to human decision makers and overwhelm enemy ships and submarines with explosive firepower, due to the rapid emergence of a multi-functional Autonomous UnderSea Vehicle able to operate as both sensor and kinetic attack weapon.
Of course the famous Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile can perform both ISR and attack using a “loiter” ability and two-way datalink, yet achieving this kind of dual purpose connectivity beneath the surface presents an entirely new realm of technological challenges. An industry innovator called VATN sought to anticipate the growing Navy need for autonomous undersea weapons and sensors and built several variants of a new undersea “torpedo-drone.” Navy merch
The Pentagon is fast-experimenting with a small, deployable AI-enabled undersea drone capable of performing forward surveillance and also attacking as a highly lethal lightweight torpedo. The 5ft-long cylindrical drone can launch from a submerged attack submarine or surface drone to track enemy targets, surveil high-risk areas, engage in limited degrees of real-time undersea communication and destroy enemy ships and submarines as directed.
https://warriormaven.com/sea/27333#google_vignette
