Spartan Scout, an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration, is a crewless surface watercraft, also known as an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), developed by the United States in 2001, and first demonstrated in late 2003. The craft, a rigid hullinflatableboat, weighs 2 tons, and is 7 metres (23 ft) in length. It is equipped with a .50 caliber machine gun, as well as various sensors, such as electro-optical and infrared surveillance and surface search radar. The Spartan is capable of carrying a 3,000-pound (1,400 kg) payload. According to a press release from the United States Navy, the Spartan Scout will also come in a 11-metre (36 ft) version, capable of carrying a 5,000-pound (2,300 kg) payload.[1]
Although a two-man boat crew is needed to deploy the Spartan Scout, once deployed, it is capable of working autonomously or semi-autonomously. During its demonstration deployment, the Spartan Scout was configured for surface surveillance and force protection, although it can potentially be configured for more complex missions.[1]
