Posted on 04/28/2025 4:32:19 AM PDT by Red Badger
The US has just unveiled a revolutionary warship with capabilities unlike anything seen before. Built for speed, power, and autonomy, this 44-ton vessel could change naval warfare forever.
US Unveils World’s First a 44-Ton, AI-Driven Warship — and It Can Hit 1,150 Miles Without Stopping - copyright Shutterstock
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The United States has unveiled the AIRCAT Bengal MC, a next-generation warship that is being called the most advanced autonomous naval vessel ever designed.
Developed by Eureka Naval Craft in partnership with Australian marine autonomy specialist Greenroom Robotics and naval architects from ESNA, the vessel marks a significant advancement in military maritime technology.
Measuring 36 meters long, the Surface Effect Ship (SES) combines speed, heavy payload capabilities, and autonomous navigation, offering a glimpse into the future of naval warfare.
Pushing the Boundaries of Speed and Payload Capacity According to Eureka Naval Craft, the AIRCAT Bengal MC stands out with its ability to carry a 44-ton payload, making it the first autonomous warship capable of transporting two full-size 40 ISO footprint modules.
Despite its size, the vessel can reach speeds of more than 50 knots, depending on the payload, and has a range of 1,000 nautical miles. Designed for maximum versatility, it can operate both crewed and autonomously, offering operational flexibility that traditional warships lack.
Its introduction is seen as a way to de-risk reliance on larger, costlier, crewed ships while maintaining superior firepower and maneuverability.
Armed for Modern Maritime Conflicts
Equipped with the ability to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and Naval Strike Missiles (NSM), the AIRCAT Bengal MC brings significant offensive capabilities to the table. According to Bo Jardine, CEO of Eureka Naval Craft, the vessel aims to disrupt the traditional naval market in its weight class.
Jardine criticized existing vessels as “outdated, sluggish, and expensive,” positioning the AIRCAT Bengal MC as a fast, heavily armed alternative that enhances lethality while offering superior operational speed.
This combination of firepower and agility makes it an appealing option for modern navies looking to maintain a technological edge.
A Platform Built for Multiple Missions
Beyond its combat capabilities, the AIRCAT Bengal MC is designed to serve a wide range of mission profiles. It can function as a troop transport, a landing support craft, an electronic warfare platform, a drone mothership, and a vessel for mine laying and counter-mine warfare.
The ship’s modular design enables users to customize its features based on specific operational needs, offering a high degree of mission adaptability.
This flexibility is consistent with Eureka’s broader fleet strategy, which includes other vessels like the Bengal, Lynx, Jaguar, and Panther, each tailored to specialized roles such as reconnaissance, rescue, and high-speed transport.
Bengal MC infographic. Eureka Naval Craft
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Advanced Autonomy Powered by Greenroom Robotics
Central to the AIRCAT Bengal MC’s cutting-edge capabilities is its advanced autonomous navigation system developed by Greenroom Robotics. The system, called Greenroom Advanced Maritime Autonomy (GAMA), enhances human operators through all phases of the vessel’s operations.
GAMA’s effectiveness was proven during the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), where it was validated on a 57-meter decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boat named Sentinel.
James Keane, CEO of Greenroom, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting the system’s potential to significantly elevate the vessel’s autonomous capabilities.
Designed for both military power and cost-efficiency, the AIRCAT Bengal MC is expected to appeal to the US Navy, US Marine Corps, AUKUS partners, NATO allies, and regional navies such as those in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Its combination of lethal capabilities, operational efficiency, and adaptability positions it as a formidable addition to the future naval landscape.
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Judgement Day is coming soon!
More of this please. A LOT more. Also....it’d be great if they could submerge. They don’t have to be full blown submarines all the time but if they could pop under the water when threatened, it would make them practically immune to missiles and drones. They wouldn’t even need to submerge that far under water.
The next generation Destroyer will.............
Is it hardened against an EMP? If not, its useless.
The U.S.S. Terminator….let’s hope it can’t be hacked.
Lol! It is a flat nosed Barge! It will not even cut through ten foot swells! This is an absolute scam for funds, this craft will never take on open seas. Every big wave will be a brick wall and bring it to a stop.
This lives in the well deck of an LHD and delivers stuff to shore. I’m not Navy/Marines and I can see that.
I am not impressed with AI, I think it’s still in its infancy. It generates too many errors. The AI driven land vehicles are an example. The grammatically poor and often confusing AI generated news articles another.
There’s nothing like the well trained human mind coupled with all of the body’s sensors to make snap decisions, the right ones pertaining to just about anything that can go wrong that a person was never trained for or experienced at. A lot of what helps us in those odd situations is instinct. And we follow the commands of our leaders (or at least used to)
You can’t do that with AI. It does not have genetic instinct and can only do what it’s programed to do. Some day the enemy will figure out just how to turn these things around and used them against us in battle.
It’s a patrol boat................
BTW we have similar manned hovercraft now. I’ve seen them from Panhandle beaches on maneuvers up and down the shore.
Pretty much all military equipment has been hardened against EMP, IIRC.
That’s basically what the Deep State and MIC are all about, being a scam for funds.
I used to laugh anytime anyone said that. Now I wonder.
“positioning the AIRCAT Bengal MC as a fast, heavily armed alternative that enhances lethality while offering superior operational speed.
This combination of firepower and agility makes it an appealing option for modern navies looking to maintain a technological edge.”
Anyone who has even the most minimal understanding of fluid dynamics and/or Hull design can take one look at this Vessel and see this statement is absolute BS.
“But the M5 did not think it was a drill, Captain! It was only protecting itself.”
Captain?
An AI computer with the entire log books of Sir Francis Drake , Lord Nelson, JP Jones, and Nimitz integrated in the memory banks.
“TW we have similar manned hovercraft now. I’ve seen them from Panhandle beaches on maneuvers up and down the shore.”
And they are absolutely useless let alone efficient on ten foot seas. The conditions would have to be absolutely calm and flat all the time for it to do what they claim it will do. A Tug Boat will out run it on ten foot seas. The nose of that is going to be diving into waves.
Maybe in a perfect world with perpetual perfectly calm seas. Other than that it will be a slug and never perform as they claim.
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