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This is Seasats’ second trans-oceanic mission. In June 2024, a Lightfish ASV completed a successful 2,500-mile voyage from San Diego to Hawaii. Along the way, the 11-ft, 350-pound vessel collected information on passing vessels, filmed sharks and other wildlife, and even worked its way out of a ghost fishing net that entangled it at one point. “This was a fantastic mission,” said Mike Flanigan, Seasats’ CEO. “We got to test our autonomous behaviors, analyze 73 continuous days of operational data, and have people all over the world follow along.”
After landing in Hawaii, the vessel demonstrated a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. Next, the Seasats team decided to push on to Japan, acknowledging the risks of a crossing during peak typhoon season.
Over 2,300 miles into the follow-on mission, the small ASV encountered a typhoon. Onboard sensors were soon reading winds up to 80 mph and waves up to 18 feet, but after several hours, communications stopped. By analyzing the vehicle’s telemetry data, Seasats was able to determine the cause, an exhaust vent cover that did not seal properly and allowed water to enter the hull. “There’s no better way to prove our products than going to sea,” says Max Kramers, Head of Vehicle Design. “That Lightfish did its job to the end, maintaining communications and sending back some really valuable information. We’ve designed a new vent cover, made it retrofittable to all the vessels we already have in the field and are looking forward to pushing the limits again during this second transit.”
The Lightfish was designed by sailors to go to sea and stay at sea with no support. “When we tell our customers what we can deliver, what we say is based on known performance, not a model,” says Tom Reynolds, Seasats’ Chief Strategy Officer. “We’re not satisfied with a vessel that operates under the same limits as a manned vessel. Autonomy allows us to push the boundaries of endurance, improve survivability, reduce signature and take risks that we would not take with people’s lives. Seasats has set out to provide our customers with practical, highly capable, and ocean-proven ASVs.”
The Lightfish is unique in its design as a keel-up unmanned system, not a converted manned vessel. Deploying single vessels or “constellations” of vessels, Seasats offers persistent coverage across vast areas with a range of payload options. 30 Lightfish are now in operation with the US Navy, universities, and commercial businesses in the United States and internationally. Seasats has deployed ASVs configured for maritime domain awareness, bathymetry, science, acoustics, electronic warfare, and more.
Declan Kerwin
Seasats
+1 831-732-7287
[email protected]
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