US Navy “ghost fleet” makes second long-range voyage
Unmanned surface vessel (USV) travelled 4,421 nautical miles from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast via the Panama Canal.
A US navy “Ghost Fleet Overloverlord,rd” USV has completed a second long-range autonomous voyage after transiting from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast via the Panama Canal.
The vessel, called Nomad, sailed 4,421 nautical miles in total, 98% of which was in autonomous mode.
The first Ghost Fleet Overlord USV, Ranger, completed a similar transit in October 2020. Both vessels passed through the canal in manual mode.
“This is another significant milestone for SCO’s Ghost Fleet Overlord program and supports the Navy’s Unmanned Campaign Framework by adding a second Overlord vessel to the West Coast.
“The SCO Ghost Fleet Overlord program serves to inform Navy prototype efforts by integrating mature technologies to accelerate Service priorities and is a key piece of the build a little, test a little, and learn a lot philosophy articulated in the Navy Unmanned Campaign Framework,” said SCO Director Jay Dryer.
