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Leidos Develops Autonomous Commando Landing Craft for UK

Leidos
Courtesy Leidos

Published Sep 4, 2025 6:32 PM by The Maritime Executive

Leidos, the IT and defense tech company behind the Sea Hunter drone boat, has come up with an autonomous commando team delivery craft for the Royal Navy - a new and unusual application of naval autonomous technology. The program's goal is to deliver a series of 24 "medium surface insertion craft" that can deploy special forces, lightweight vehicles and "medium combat loads."

Leidos was historically known as a government IT contractor, but its work with the Navy has allowed it to build up expertise in maritime autonomy, and that's a big part of the firm's focus going forward. "We're not world renowned as an autonomous naval vessel builder. That's because we don't build ships. But everything around it, and everything that enables those commercial shipyards to become government shipyards, we have," CEO Thomas Bell told DefenseOne last month. 

Originally developed for long-distance oceanic navigation for patrol, submarine-tracking and surface warfare missions, Leidos' autonomy technology can be found aboard the ACTUV / Sea Hunter and the crewboat-based Ghost Fleet Overlord prototype series. The private company currently holds an operation and management contract for the Navy's Ghost Fleet vessels, plus a $250 million five-year contract for unmanned ISR system R&D. 

Leidos announced Thursday that it has now developed an autonomous landing craft for delivering British commando teams to shore, capable of long range and high speeds (above 40 knots). An illustration released with the announcement shows that it will have a stern ramp for disembarking troops; enough space and deadweight for carrying light tactical vehicles; and a sloped tumblehome hull, typically selected for reduced radar signature. 

The vessel was designed by Leidos Naval Architects (Gibbs & Cox), the Royal Navy, and the UK Commando Force. It will be fitted out for AI and vessel autonomy, making it one of the larger operationally-deployed autonomous vessels in military service (though it is still not a pure unmanned design, like the Saildrone or NOMARS).