California defence startup, Splash Industries has introduced a major leap forward in naval unmanned warfare. The company’s 11-foot Typhoon uncrewed surface vessel (USV) can now act as a sea-to-sky mothership, capable of launching airborne one-way attack drones directly from its deck at the single press of a button.
The technological upgrade arrives via the “Airstrike Pack”, a modular mission payload integrated directly with the vessel’s primary operating software, Splash C2. According to the company, the module was built using internally developed electronics and software, featuring a ruggedised, low-cost architecture designed to withstand severe maritime environments while keeping production streamlined.
While Splash Industries has kept exact payload specifications – such as total drone capacity, size and flight distance – classified, it confirmed that the system has already undergone successful force-on-force military testing. By controlling the design and manufacturing in-house, Splash claims it can deliver this multi-domain strike capability at roughly one-tenth the cost of competing market alternatives.
A High-Speed, Modular Threat
Despite its compact 3.4-metre (11-foot) size, the Typhoon punches far above its weight class. The robot boat boasts an operational range exceeding 600 nautical miles (1,111 kilometres) and sustained cruise speeds above 50 knots, having clocked sprint speeds over 70 knots (80 mph) during field trials.
Its deck is fully modular, allowing defence forces to rapidly swap out payloads depending on mission parameters. Before the addition of the drone-launching Airstrike Pack, the Typhoon was primarily positioned as a rapid-assembly asset for maritime reconnaissance, security and tactical cargo transport. Splash Industries claims the vessel can be fully assembled from scratch in just eight hours.
The addition of an aerial strike capability transforms the high-speed vessel from a surveillance and transport platform into a dynamic, multi-domain threat. Instead of relying on vulnerable crewed ships or static land bases, military units can deploy autonomous surface vessels to sneak close to adversary coastlines or naval strike groups, launching aerial kamikaze drones to saturate target defences.
Proven Naval Autonomy
The launch of the Airstrike Pack follows a series of milestone demonstrations for Splash Industries. During the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises near Hawaii, a Typhoon USV executed a fully autonomous underway resupply mission for the US Navy warship USS Essex (LHD 2).
Overseen by the Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE), the vessel navigated the amphibious assault ship’s wake and autonomously manoeuvered into its flooded well deck without relying on active radio or satellite human control links. During the same operation, the boat transferred 3D-printed drone components made aboard the warship back to shore, proving two-way autonomous logistics capabilities.
Emerging from stealth in mid-2026 backed by $4.2 million in seed funding led by Ubiquity Ventures, Splash Industries reports its fleet of autonomous vessels has logged over 10,000 nautical miles across three continents. The firm is also developing a larger surface drone, designated “Tempest”, designed to carry 1,500 pounds of payload over 300 nautical miles for upcoming US Navy evaluations.
The integration of aerial strike modules onto low-cost surface drones underscores a broader transformation in naval doctrine. By marrying high-speed ocean mobility with airborne loitering munitions, platforms like the Typhoon give forces an affordable, expendable way to project power deep into contested waters.
