Tesla FSD says that's nothing. I can park myself.

J/K this was super cool.

It's been well covered in the Iran thread.

lb3 said:

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It's been well covered in the Iran thread.

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Thanks.

Still think it deserves a thread.

And I've long since abandoned all hope of getting useful info from that thread

The company is based in Austin. There is something deeply satisfying about watching the future of shipbuilding come together in a landlocked town.

You can sometimes see them out … playing … on Lake Austin.

They come in a variety of sizes, and they are flexibly mission-configurable.

Vestal_Flame said:

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The company is based in Austin. There is something deeply satisfying about watching the future of shipbuilding come together in a landlocked town.

They have a smaller one that has gone up and down the elevator in my office.

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The shipbuilding will take place in New Orleans and San Diego. Army Futures Command located in downtown Austin is a much better rabbit hole to explore.

I have wondered if the first hull out of NOLA is nicknamed "Higgins".

What's the benefit of an unmanned 24 ft rescue boat, other than the risk for a couple crewmen, which is small compared the package we sent to rescue the downed airman a few months ago?

I understand the benefit of unmanned attack platforms (drones, etc.) compared to the expensive alternative of a jet + pilot, or a multi-million-dollar missile. But I'm struggling to understand the business case behind an unmanned rescue boat.

I'm sure we are much more willing to risk the destruction of an unmanned rescue boat than a manned rescue boat in most situations.

My only question (probably classified) is what happened at the moment of rescue. Did a monotone, computer-generated voice say " is "We got him! No man left behind."

MemphisAg1 said:

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What's the benefit of an unmanned 24 ft rescue boat, other than the risk for a couple crewmen, which is small compared the package we sent to rescue the downed airman a few months ago?

I understand the benefit of unmanned attack platforms (drones, etc.) compared to the expensive alternative of a jet + pilot, or a multi-million-dollar missile. But I'm struggling to understand the business case behind an unmanned rescue boat.

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Apparently the DoD you and I pay for has a business case. Ask your congress man/woman.

dcbowers said:

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I'm sure we are much more willing to risk the destruction of an unmanned rescue boat than a manned rescue boat in most situations.

My only question (probably classified) is what happened at the moment of rescue. Did a monotone, computer-generated voice say " is "We got him! No man left behind."

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"Come vith me if you vant to live!"

A single drone ship is less capable than a manned vessel of similar size in this instance since no aid could be rendered if necessary. But a fleet of drone boats can maintain a watch presence on station with higher readiness longer than a crewed vessel with no additional risk to sailors.

Vestal_Flame said:

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The company is based in Austin. There is something deeply satisfying about watching the future of shipbuilding come together in a landlocked town.

You can sometimes see them out … playing … on Lake Austin.

They come in a variety of sizes, and they are flexibly mission-configurable.

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Blueforge Alliance is in Bryan (near Traditions/TAMU).

https://www.blueforgealliance.us/

MemphisAg1 said:

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What's the benefit of an unmanned 24 ft rescue boat, other than the risk for a couple crewmen, which is small compared the package we sent to rescue the downed airman a few months ago?

I understand the benefit of unmanned attack platforms (drones, etc.) compared to the expensive alternative of a jet + pilot, or a multi-million-dollar missile. But I'm struggling to understand the business case behind an unmanned rescue boat.

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The benefit is that it's there and ready for this exact situation but we aren't putting people at risk. Was this a serious question?

For long duration missions I would guess the USN uses these for surveillance and just luckily it was the closest asset to the airmen, and apparently 'it found them' first.

The U.S. military confirmed that a Saronic Corsair was used in the first-of-its-kind rescue operation following the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter.

At Saronic, we build autonomous vessels to extend capability into the most demanding and dangerous environments. Knowing Corsair… pic.twitter.com/F7G6u0PDZC

— Saronic (@Saronic) June 10, 2026

Maybe the sensors on it can detect drones/missile launches as well. With the IRGC threatening traffic/to send small boats out to mine the strait, surely these are good/practical resources to have near/in Iranian water. I doubt they were procured specifically for SAR missions.