Autonomous Systems

Autonomy at Sea

L3Harris is Focused on the Future Navy

Maritime Autonomous Systems

Within the maritime systems domain, L3Harris has delivered over 500 autonomous unmanned undersea and surface vehicles. These systems are deployed all over the world and service the defense, oil and gas, and scientific sectors. L3Harris’ unmanned vessels can be integrated with sensors, weapons, and sonars; and can be operated remotely, semi-autonomously, or fully autonomous.

Autonomous systems protect our fleets and have the potential to save lives by performing hazardous tasks such as mine hunting, piracy surveillance and deep-sea surveys. L3Harris is one of the most experienced, tested, and successful developers in the industry, providing safe, efficient and reliable solutions that enhance these capabilities. The company's autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) have performed over 2,100 hours at sea without human intervention. In fact, L3Harris has delivered three times more than competitors. This foundation has enabled L3Harris to develop both mission and hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) autonomy, supporting ASV operations at sea without human intervention.

Vehicles can be controlled manually or to follow pre-programmed routes

At the core of all our unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned conversions is our ASView control software. Path planning begins with perception data from camera feeds, radar, AIS, lidar, sonars, depth sounders, navigational chart overlays, and other sensors. ASView fuses all of this inbound perception data together, while taking the accuracy of each device into consideration, to develop a complete and accurate view of the vessel’s surroundings.

L3Harris has collaborated closely with its partners, including the U.S. Navy’s Combined Task Force 59 (TF59) and the Surface Warfare Development Squadron (DEVRON), to enhance manned-unmanned teaming through the deployment and performance of ASVs, extending their ISR and force protection capabilities. TF59 is the first U.S. Navy task force dedicated to integrating unmanned maritime systems and artificial intelligence within the Navy’s 5th Fleet area of operations.

Additionally, L3Harris is the prime contractor for the U.S. Navy’s first major contract award for ASVs, the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV), building on previous commercial experience and work for the Strategic Capabilities Office. Internationally, L3Harris serves as the vehicle and autonomy provider for the U.K.-France mine countermeasures program. These domestic and international efforts, combined with our extensive commercial experience, position L3Harris at the forefront of the ASV market. All these achievements are made possible by L3Harris' ASView™ autonomy system, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver mission and situational awareness autonomy to the platform. ASView enables unmanned or remote operations from a land-based control station, allowing for the execution of pre-programmed mission plans and real-time operations. This advanced autonomy, coupled with reliable and redundant systems, ensures that vessels can operate at sea for months without human intervention.

Platform autonomy is key to future naval operations, but the real value lies in the mission packages these vessel carry that enable autonomous coordination across various platforms, payloads and manned assets. This coordination is crucial for future maritime operations.