Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division completed initial demonstrations of an unmanned aircraft system that navigated mission tasks and landed on a Navy ship without GPS or pilot control. In an October 15, 2026, announcement, NAWCAD said the system was tested over a scale model of a U.S. Navy Yard Patrol craft and in a live flight recovery on a pitching vessel at sea. The Navy system is ready for operational testing on fleet platforms.
What it means
The software uses commercial-standard cameras, motion sensors and electronics to identify a vessel’s outline and visual markers. Its guidance and control algorithms calculate the movement of a ship’s deck as it rises and falls.
NAWCAD said the system can run on nearly any unmanned aircraft computer and can be adapted from small tactical quadcopters to combat-class aircraft. The center plans to apply the capability to larger unmanned systems, including tactical resupply drones.
Key facts
- Initial flight demonstrations were completed by NAWCAD.
- The drone operated when satellite navigation was jammed or unavailable.
- NAWCAD is working with 3 transition entities: the Navy’s Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and DARPA’s EVADE project.
- The Naval Innovative Science and Engineering Program and the Office of Naval Research funded the project.
Source: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division announcement