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Leidos begins operational testing for Sea Hunter drone

By Ryan Maass
The Sea Hunter anti-sub drone is scheduled to undergo operational testing through fall 2017. U.S. Navy photo
The Sea Hunter anti-sub drone is scheduled to undergo operational testing through fall 2017. U.S. Navy photo

RESTON, Va., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Leidos has begun operational testing for its Sea Hunter demonstration vessel following a series of completed performance trials.

The testing supports the company's joint project with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, known as the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel program, or ACTUV. The program aims to develop automated maritime platforms capable of tracking quiet deisel electric submarines.

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"Sea Hunter is at the forefront of new autonomy technologies for the U.S. military," Leidos Advanced Solutions Group president Mike Chagnon said in a press release. "The operational testing is designed to showcase the unprecedented capabilities that this type of unmanned vessel could offer our military forces."

The Sea Hunter was christened at a ceremony in April 2016 after a number of trials demonstrated the vessel's unmanned capabilities. Industry researchers also showcased the Remote Supervisory Control Station, which allows operators to perform missions with the vehicle from a distance.

The new set of trials will test the ship's sensors, mission control hardware and software, and autonomy system. Tests are set to continue through fall 2017 as part of a 2-year program funded by DARPA and the Office of Naval Research.

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