Navy Demonstrates Successful Drone Ship Landing Without GPS

The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) demonstrated that an unmanned tactical drone can fly missions and land on a pitching Navy ship at sea without GPS or pilot control. During recent testing, the system used commercial-standard cameras, motion sensors, and onboard software to visually recognize the ship and predict deck movements in real time. The approach is designed to reduce reliance on high-cost radar and ship-modification hardware that can take months to install, replacing it with modular guidance and control software paired with mission sensors. NAWCAD said the modular software is ready for operational testing and plans to adapt it to larger unmanned systems, including tactical resupply drones.