The US Navy has procured an unmanned surface vessel from Textron Systems for evaluation under the AUKUS security partnership involving Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The purchase supports joint testing of advanced uncrewed maritime technologies aimed at strengthening security and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Under the contract, Textron will deliver its Tsunami unmanned surface vessel along with engineering services and operator training. The platform will be assigned to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific in San Diego, which oversees research and experimentation with emerging technologies, including autonomous systems applicable across multiple warfighting domains.
Textron unveiled the Tsunami USV in January 2025 as a low-cost, rapidly deployable solution built on a commercial hull supplied by Brunswick Corporation. The vessel is powered by Textron’s proprietary Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle autonomy system and uses a gasoline propulsion setup.
Designed for extended missions, Tsunami can operate in Sea State 4 conditions, withstand waves up to 2.5 meters, and achieve a range exceeding 1,000 nautical miles. The USV offers a payload capacity of 1,000 pounds and is available in 24-, 25-, and 28-foot variants. Textron previously confirmed its first Tsunami sale to the US Navy in May, delivering a 24-foot model to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
