Humanoid & robot atlas
Sea Hunter (ACTUV)
Photo: U.S. Navy/John F. Williams, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Pilot useUnited States#12 in public attentionSupervised

Leidos · autonomous vessel

Sea Hunter

ACTUV

A 40 m trimaran that patrols on its own, using radar and cameras to avoid obstacles and other ships under 'sparse supervisory control', where a remote operator oversees but does not steer. It is unarmed; any future weapons decisions would stay with a human.

Price
—Military programme, not sold
Autonomy
SupervisedHow it runs
Driverless
In serviceSince 2016-06
Fleet
1Reported; details below
Speed
50.0 km/hFaster than 67%
Range
18520 kmPer charge or tank
Compare

Why it matters

The first ship built under DARPA's ACTUV programme to trail submarines for months with no one aboard; slated with Seahawk to form the US Navy's first operational medium USV division in 2026.

Real-world use

Open-ocean trials from June 2016, handed to the Office of Naval Research in 2018, took part in RIMPAC 2022 with Nomad and Ranger.

Timeline

First shown
2016-04-07
Released
Not yet
Christening in Portland, Oregon

Maker

LeidosCompany

How it drives

Fleet and city figures move fast; each carries its date and who reported it.

Driverless status
Driverless in service
Where it runs
US Pacific (San Diego, Pearl Harbor, RIMPAC exercise areas)
Driverless since
2016-06
Fleet
1 vessel (plus sister Seahawk)
Rides, miles or loads
Used in fleet exercises in 2022 and 2023 (The Defense Post, Jan 2026)

How it stacks up

Against other boats & ships that publish the figure. Pick a measure.

  1. Sea Hunter (ACTUV)Leidos for DARPA (built by Christensen Shipyards and Vigor Industrial) · 2016145000 kg
  2. Saildrone SurveyorSaildrone · 202114000 kg
  3. GARC (Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft)BlackSea Technologies (acquired by AEVEX, 2026) · 20232177 kg

Too few boats & ships publish a weight to rank it. Bars show the 2 closest in date.

Weight 145000 kg 2177 kg145000 kg #1 of 3 · heavier than 0%

Not published by the maker: height, payload, joints, battery, price.

Public attention

#12 of 215 current vehicles in public attention.

29of 100
  • 7,764 views of its Wikipedia article in the last 90 days (Sea Hunter)
  • No recent press stories listed yet

Measures how much people read and write about a robot, not how good it is. Measured 2026-10-14; same method for every robot. How it is measured

What’s inside

No component details published yet.

Movement
Other movement
How it runs
Supervised. Works by itself while a person watches and steps in.

Lineage

Every Leidos for DARPA (built by Christensen Shipyards and Vigor Industrial) vehicle in order.

  1. Sea Hunter (ACTUV)Sea Hunter (ACTUV)2016Pilot use
  2. Seahawk (medium USV)Seahawk (medium USV)2021Pilot use

Made, sold and where

No production or sales figures published yet.

Price
Not publishedMilitary programme, not sold
How to get one
No official buying page found

Sources

Figures come from press coverage. Every link below backs something on this page.

DARPA ACTUV “Sea Hunter” Prototype Transitions to Office of Naval Research for Further Development The Defense Post US Navy to make Sea Hunter and Seahawk its first operational medium USVs

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