U.S. Coast Guard Seeking Technology To Hunt And Kill Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles
Summary
The U.S. Coast Guard is actively seeking advanced technologies to both detect and neutralize uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), recognizing them as a growing threat to ports and critical maritime infrastructure. The Coast Guard Futures Development and Integration Directorate is leading this effort, responding to the increasing use of UUVs by both adversary militaries and non-state actors for surveillance, smuggling, sabotage, and direct kinetic strikes. Recent real-world incidents have validated these concerns, including Ukraine's successful UUV strike on a Russian submarine in Novorossiysk harbor, a Houthi UUV engagement in the Red Sea in February 2024, and Hamas's attempted underwater drone attack against Israeli naval assets in 2021. The Coast Guard acknowledges that while some detection and tracking technologies exist, there are very few tested and operational systems capable of actually defeating or neutralizing UUV threats. Traditional undersea surveillance infrastructure, such as Cold War-era hydrophone networks, was designed to detect large submarines rather than the much smaller and stealthier modern UUVs, creating a significant capability gap that urgently needs to be addressed.
Key Takeaways
- 1. The U.S. Coast Guard has formally issued a Request for Solutions seeking technology to detect, track, and defeat UUVs threatening ports and maritime facilities
- 2. Real-world combat incidents involving UUVs by Ukraine, Houthi forces, and Hamas have demonstrated the technology's viability as an asymmetric weapon
- 3. Existing underwater surveillance infrastructure is largely outdated and inadequate for detecting small, modern UUVs
- 4. Near-peer adversaries like China have been heavily investing in UUV technology, posing a significant strategic threat to U.S. naval assets in port
- 5. The UUV threat mirrors the aerial drone challenge but remains far less publicized despite presenting equally serious security implications