The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has successfully demonstrated a new technology enabling uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to navigate missions and land on moving ships entirely without GPS or pilot intervention. Operating in simulated electronic warfare environments where satellite signals are jammed, the system uses onboard cameras to visually recognize ship shapes and relative cues much like a human pilot. Advanced guidance and control algorithms predict the rising and falling motion of the vessel’s deck in real-time to ensure a smooth touchdown. Compatible with standard computer hardware, the scalable software can support everything from small quadcopters to large tactical resupply drones, significantly boosting fleet resilience during contested maritime operations.

Full report : New computer vision software allows uncrewed aircraft to navigate and touch down on rolling vessel decks in GPS less environment.