Autonomous boats launched from San Diego by this local startup track Chinese ghost fleets

San Diego‑based Seasats has begun deploying autonomous 12‑foot Lightfish skiffs to locate Chinese ghost fleets in Taiwanese waters, using surface relays to send coastal intelligence to land. Since 2020, the firm has raised about $40 million and secured roughly $100 million in defense contracts, driving a major expansion to a new Clairemont headquarters and a rapid hiring surge. The Lightfish can relay coordinates of ghost fleets, track storms, signal submarines, monitor pipelines, and identify smugglers and illegal fishing by listening for underwater acoustics and translating signals into satellite transmissions. Last month, a Lightfish completed the first autonomous crossing of the Taiwan Strait, reportedly encountering multiple Chinese warships within Taiwan’s EEZ.