The Royal Navy proved that Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) can survive at sea after an airdrop and without support from ports or manned vessels. The Royal Navy announced on Jul. 8, 2026 that it airdropped an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) from an A400M in the North Sea, before the uncrewed system began operating in the water in a major first-of-its-kind exercise. The milestone was part of a six-day ...