The U.S. Navy has showcased its new type of unmanned surface vessel during exercises off the coast of Southern California.

The small drone boat, called the ADARO, took part in the Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem 21 (UxS IBP 21) off the coast of San Diego. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages.

An ADARO unmanned system interacted with the Navy’s newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Oakland (LCS 24).

This small unmanned surface vehicle, developed SeaLandAire under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, is about three feet long and could assist special operators, explosive ordnance disposal technicians or Marines.

SeaLandAire says the vehicle is a rugged, man-portable, X-class unmanned surface vehicle designed around a modular payload capability. Its series-hybrid energy system provides quiet electric-only operation, even at top speeds, while the heavy fuel range extender significantly lengthens mission life.

As noted by the company, the platform is designed with a modular architecture to facilitate field servicing and repair. The flexible payload architecture allows extremely rapid integration of new payloads. Both software and hardware are designed for ease of use; ADARO can be set up and deployed within minutes.