Expanding U.S.-led maritime domain awareness
Lightfish is an 11.4-foot solar-powered USV built for endurance rather than speed, capable of operating up to six months and covering more than 6,000 nautical miles. Equipped with AIS tracking, GNSS navigation and modular sensors, it enhances maritime domain awareness across the Western Indian Ocean. U.S. officials stressed that integrating such autonomous vessels into partner fleets strengthens freedom of navigation and maritime security in East Africa without deploying additional U.S. ships.
Task Force 66 and distributed coalition operations
Established in May 2024, Commander Task Force 66 currently operates 22 USVs and focuses on robotic and autonomous systems integration across AFRICOM and European theaters. The Seychelles launch shows allied vessels can deploy persistent drone platforms using local infrastructure. Previous Lightfish operations included a 7,500-nautical-mile transit near Guam in August 2025 and multinational experimentation under REPMUS in Portugal. The milestone confirms a U.S. shift toward distributed, coalition-ready unmanned maritime capabilities.
In the video below, the Lightfish unmanned surface vessel is seen being deployed from a partner nation vessel during Exercise Cutlass Express 2026 in the Indian Ocean.
https://x.com/rbacnews/status/2023314095097925959?s=20
