By Arie Egozi, Autonomy Global — Ambassador for Israel
The escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has sharply accelerated naval interest in autonomous surface and underwater systems. Israeli sources inform Autonomy Global that Elbit Systems is preparing to demonstrate its Seagull unmanned surface vessel (USV) to several European navies in the near term.
Hormuz Crisis as a Catalyst
Israeli sources told Autonomy Global directly that the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis has renewed and intensified interest among navies in autonomous naval platforms, both above and below the waterline. An Elbit source stated plainly: “Navies have now got the utmost proof that such systems are essential in any naval force.”
Seagull’s Core Capabilities
The flagship Seagull USV is a 12-meter modular, autonomous vessel capable of operating singly or in pairs from a single control station positioned on a ship or ashore. The platform reaches speeds up to 32 knots, sustains over 96 hours at sea, and incorporates obstacle avoidance systems in line with international maritime rules. It runs on proprietary software with AI-driven modules for change detection and automatic target detection (ATD), enabling real-time mine-like object identification, mapping and classification. It can support mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), electronic warfare (EW) and broader maritime security missions.
Proven in the Field
In Belgian North Sea trials, the Seagull executed fully autonomous, end-to-end MCM missions in challenging sea states using its AI tools, a significant operational validation. The system has since integrated additional capabilities including a 360-degree panoramic video system with automatic target recognition (ATR), a Skylark C mini-UAS for enhanced ISR, and TRAPS towed sonar for submarine detection.
Full-Volume Underwater Coverage
Beyond surface operations, the Seagull deploys remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), dipping sonars, side-scan sonars, and robotics to conduct full-volume underwater search, mine neutralization, and ASW torpedo launches. This keeps personnel entirely out of minefields. The system performs the complete survey-detect-classify-verify mission chain autonomously, and includes fail-safes such as returning to a safe position if communications are lost.