U.S. firm unveils Comet drone boat armed with air defense missiles

Baltimore-based BlackSea Technologies publicly unveiled its Comet unmanned surface vessel at the Sea-Air-Space exposition, displaying the platform armed with missiles for both air defense and surface strike missions.

The company announced its presence at Dock D2, making Comet one of the most heavily armed unmanned surface vessels shown publicly by a U.S. manufacturer. Photographs of the vessel at the event show a low-profile, hexagonal-patterned hull fitted with a dual-rail missile launcher and an electro-optical targeting system mounted forward, alongside a Simrad navigation radar and additional sensor systems.

The Comet is a 13.1-meter unmanned surface vessel — approximately 43 feet in length with a 9-foot-7-inch beam — built on an aluminum hull with a semi-planing design that BlackSea says is capable of exceeding 45 knots. The platform was constructed in just one month, according to the company, and is described as the latest evolution of a hull design with over two decades of operational history in the U.S. Navy. “Built in just one month, Comet is the latest evolution of a hull design with over two decades of operational history in the U.S. Navy,” BlackSea stated in its Sea-Air-Space announcement. “The same modular, mission-configurable concept first delivered in the early 2000s now runs at 45+ knots with a 10,000 lb payload capacity, ready for MCM, EW, ASW, and beyond.”

The platform carries a total payload capacity of 10,000 pounds including fuel. On the endurance profile, Comet can operate out to 1,000 nautical miles carrying a 3,000-pound payload at 40 knots in Sea State 3. On a mission profile with a heavier 7,500-pound payload, range is 500 nautical miles at 20 knots in Sea State 3. Twin Volvo D6 propulsion drives the semi-planing hull, and Seakeeper stabilization is integrated to maintain platform stability at speed. The hull itself is described as robust, repairable, and entirely U.S.-built.

What sets the Sea-Air-Space display apart from a conventional technology demonstration is the weapons payload visible in the photographs. The vessel appeared at the exposition fitted with what appear to be two ready-to-fire air defense missiles on an elevated launcher rail, alongside an electro-optical and infrared targeting turret — a configuration purpose-built for engaging aerial threats including drones, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft. The combination of a targeting sensor and a ready launcher on an uncrewed hull capable of 45 knots represents an operationally significant pairing: a fast, expendable platform that can position itself to engage incoming aerial threats without putting a crew in harm’s way.

Beyond anti-air capability, the platform’s modular architecture is designed to accommodate surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, maritime domain awareness, and high-value unit escort missions. BlackSea describes the forward and aft payload bays and reinforced deck architecture as capable of integrating launcher systems, sensor masts, and modular mission packages without requiring major redesign — a deliberate engineering choice intended to allow rapid reconfiguration as mission priorities change. The platform also incorporates an end-to-end autonomy stack covering advanced navigation, remote command, and scalable command and control architectures.

The company named the vessel after a Baltimore privateer, framing its design philosophy in straightforward terms: “Named for a Baltimore privateer, Comet is built on a simple principle: move fast and carry more.” That lineage is more than marketing — the privateer tradition emphasized speed, payload efficiency, and independent operation, all characteristics reflected in the vessel’s published specifications. The ability to carry 10,000 pounds of payload at speeds exceeding 45 knots places Comet at the high end of performance among comparable-class unmanned surface vessels currently in development or on the market.

The Sea-Air-Space exposition, held annually near Washington, D.C., is the premier naval defense industry event in the United States and draws program offices, acquisition officials, and fleet commanders from across the Department of War and allied navies. BlackSea’s decision to display Comet in an armed configuration at Dock D2 — rather than as an unarmed technology demonstrator — signals that the company is positioning the platform as a combat-ready operational asset rather than a developmental prototype.