Swiftships, UL Lafayette Develop Unmanned Boat for Military

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Swiftships Shipbuilders LLC are working together to develop a military boat capable of autonomous navigation.

"We're modifying the Anaconda, a 35-foot boat that's designed primarily for military use. By adding the capability of unmanned operation, we can increase ease of deployment and minimize threats to military personnel," said Shehraze Shah, Swiftships' chief executive officer.

The vessel, which was designed for the U.S. Navy, is ideal for river operations. It is fast, quiet, agile and can be driven in shallow water. U.S. and Canadian special operations teams have used the boat, a special operations craft-riverine, for training exercises.

Read more