Unmanned systems in front of Navy SEAL operators. US Navy develops submarine reconnaissance

US Navy is working on using unmanned systems in the activities of submarine operators of Navy SEAL. Unmanned submarines are to check approaches to ports, detect mines and obstacles before an underwater vehicle enters the affected area with special military operators on board.

Unmanned system in front of Seal operators

Unmanned water systems and submarines are increasingly changing the way they operate at sea. Ukraine uses sea drones to hit Russian ships and port infrastructure, and NATO states develop their own solutions to identify, protect ports, combat mines and support special activities. Now a similar logic is to be transferred under water, where the risk of detection and loss of crew is particularly high.

According to Captain Mike Linn of Naval Special Warfare's office during the SOF Week 2026 conference in Tampa, the U.S. Navy explores the possibility of interacting miniature submarines used by Navy SEAL with unmanned systems.

The assumption is simple. The submarine used by the Navy SEAL may shift operators to a significant distance, but the unmanned system could enter even further, identify the waters on its own and check the hazards before the proper stage of the mission.

This would be particularly important when dealing with ports, sea bases and other protected facilities. Sensors, firewalls and defense systems are concentrated in such locations, so the earlier use of the unmanned system can reduce risks at the most dangerous stage of the mission.

Two solutions for Navy SEAL

American special forces are currently using two solutions intended for the secretive spread of operators under water.

The first is Mk 11 Shallow Water Combat Submersible. It is a so-called "wet" submarine, taking two crew members and six SEAL operators. In practice, this means that they stay in water all the way and use diving equipment.

The second solution is Dry Combat Submersible (DCS). This vehicle has a cabin containment system for two crew members and eight operators. Operational readiness reached in 2023, and its primary advantage is the ability to spread soldiers in much better conditions.

However, this does not solve the whole problem. DCS not included in the currently used Dry Deck Shelter modules installed on submarines. In practice, this means using a water unit as a carrier, which limits the freedom of secretive action.

Underwater connectivity as the main restriction

The most difficult element of this concept is not the unmanned vehicle itself, but the underwater communication. It will decide whether the interaction of a manned vehicle with an unmanned system will become a real tool for special actions, or whether it will only remain a technology demonstrators.

In the case of air and water platforms, radio links are the basis for cooperation. Underwater, this solution quickly loses its effectiveness. Therefore, the US Navy analyses other means of data transmission, including acoustic and optical communications.

Both directions have serious limitations. Acoustic communication can operate at longer distances, but is slower and involves sound emissions. This is a problem in activities where secrecy is essential. In turn, optical communication allows to transmit more data, but only at short distances and under favorable conditions.

In practice, the U.S. Navy must not only solve the problem of drone control. Equally important will be the coordination of his actions with the manned Underwater vehicle. According to current assessments, achieving the required reliability remains the task for the following years.

Early programme

The most likely candidate for this role remains Razorback, based on the construction of REMUS 600. It is an unmanned submarine designed, among others, for exploratory and oceanographic tasks, capable of multi-hour underwater operation.

However, the programme is still at an early stage. Issues that look simple on paper remain to be resolved, but in practice they are crucial: the way of carrying an unmanned vehicle, its launching, recovery and maintaining communication with a manned submarine.

Therefore, it is not yet a ready-made tactic, but a direction of development. U.S. Navy is trying to move the concept of manned and unmanned teams under water, i.e. to an environment much more difficult than airspace or sea surface.

If this work is successful, the Navy SEAL operators will receive a tool that will check the waters before entering the affected area, detect obstacles and reduce the risk of loss of surprise. This is still a long-term perspective, but it clearly shows the direction of changes in special activities at sea: more reconnaissance, a greater role for unmanned systems and a lower exposure of operators where the first minutes of the mission can decide on its success.