US Navy Proves Drone Landing Without GPS on Moving Ship Using Onboard Cameras

The United States Navy demonstrated an unmanned aircraft autonomously landing on a moving ship at sea without relying on GPS signals or a human pilot. The aircraft used onboard cameras, motion sensing and navigation software to recognize and track the vessel's moving landing area despite the ship's changing position. The trial also avoided reliance on shipboard landing radar, addressing a central challenge for recovering small drones when satellite navigation or communications are disrupted. The Navy is examining how the technology could support future shipborne unmanned aircraft operations, but the demonstration did not establish fleet-wide operational readiness.