Introducing Quickfish: Seasats' Revolutionary Autonomous Vessel for Maritime Defense

Seasats Unveils Quickfish: The Future of Maritime Defense

On October 20, 2025, Seasats, a prominent name in the development of autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), revealed the Quickfish during a multi-day U.S. Navy exercise along the California coast. This cutting-edge vessel showcases features such as impressive top speeds exceeding 35 knots, enhanced payload modularity, and intuitive autonomy interfaces, marking a significant advancement in maritime technology.

During the recent exercises, Quickfish proved its reliability and capability, giving attendees a firsthand look at its performance under operational conditions. The unique hull construction method allows for nearly tool-less manufacturing, setting a new standard in the industry for efficiency and adaptability in vessel design.

The Quickfish is designed for long-duration maritime operations, with its endurance in loiter missions extending across multiple weeks at sea. Additionally, it features a concealed aerial vehicle launch bay, exemplifying the innovative functionalities that Seasats has incorporated into its design.

With an already robust reputation for reliability, Seasats achieved significant milestones including the autonomous crossing of the Pacific Ocean by their Lightfish USV, covering more than 7,500 miles. This established credibility led to an $89 million SBIR Phase III IDIQ contract to further support the U.S. Navy's maritime autonomy initiatives. As a result, Quickfish has attracted early interest from defense primes, with one securing a purchase to enhance their maritime autonomy programs.

Seasats has also forged partnerships with international allies, including Australia, the Philippines, and Japan, who have signed agreements to manufacture and distribute Quickfish locally. This innovative vessel’s scalable hull design allows for in-country production, empowering allied nations to strengthen their maritime security and operational capabilities independently.

Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan discussed the motivations behind the Quickfish design, stating, "Our customers appreciate how Lightfish USVs provide prolonged sensing capabilities; however, they also require a dependable response to threats with manned assets. Developing the Quickfish to incorporate intercept capabilities was a natural progression for the Lightfish mission."

Flanigan emphasized that the main concerns expressed by users of interceptor USVs often center around reliability and endurance—two areas where Seasats has consistently excelled. By leveraging its existing strengths, the company strives to enhance its reputation by delivering on the promises of Quickfish, a vessel built to meet the complex demands of modern naval operations.

About Seasats
Seasats is a United States-based developer specializing in autonomous surface vehicles tailored for extensive maritime missions across defense, scientific, and commercial sectors. Their flagship product, the Lightfish series, integrates advanced sensor technology and modular payloads within a compact design, ensuring cost-effectiveness while providing multi-month operational capabilities.

Backed by industry leaders like L3Harris and Shield Capital, Seasats’ systems have gained global deployments by esteemed naval, research, and security entities, facilitating enhanced maritime domain awareness with minimal logistical requirements and maximum flexibility. To learn more about their offerings, visit www.seasats.com.