US looks to expand use of canoe-sized drones to deter migrant crossings
PLTR•The Pentagon is studying whether to add as many as 50 autonomous boats to a 10-vessel test fleet on the Rio Grande, with possible Gulf of Mexico deployments in fiscal year 2027. The boats have assisted in an average month with 452 detections, 350 apprehensions and 100 turnbacks, the Pentagon said.
1. Fleet expansion under study
The Pentagon may expand its use of autonomous surveillance boats on the Rio Grande and in the Gulf of Mexico after a pilot program that began in January. Defense officials are studying whether to increase the current test group of 10 vessels by as many as 50, with Gulf expansion planned for fiscal year 2027 before Pacific tests near San Diego.
2. Detection and monitoring
The 11-foot, 340-pound Lightfish vessels are built by San Diego-based startup Seasats and cost roughly $240,000 each. They operate without crews, carry electro-optical, infrared and sonar sensors, and send tracking data to military software networks, including Palantir Technologies' Maven Smart System. The Pentagon said the drones have assisted in an average month with 452 detections, 350 apprehensions and 100 turnbacks.
3. Potential Gulf operations
Assistant Secretary of Defense M. Roosevelt Ditlevson said orders could rise by 50 boats and the vessels could potentially operate in the Gulf of Mexico. He said any expansion would happen in increments and that officials are agnostic to the vendor.
