Mediterranean Sea. (March 15, 2024): When the Navy wants to look over the horizon, it sends out the V-BAT. In this photo by Marine Corporal Rafael Brambila-Pelayo, a V-BAT uncrewed aerial system launches from the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall to become the ship’s “eye in the sky”.

This unique drone gives situational awareness to commanders who use it for surveillance and intelligence gathering. It’s light weight (125 lbs.) which allows the system to be deployed by a 2-person team and packs up to fit in the back of a pickup truck. The system deploys quickly, going from package to flight in under twenty minutes.

Nine feet long with a ten-foot wingspan, the V-Bat can travel up to 56 mph for up to ten hours with a ceiling of 20,000 feet. What makes the unit remarkable are its electro-optical (EO)/mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras that provide long-range imaging abilities, image stabilization, and high-speed thermal imaging. The V-BAT can also transmit real-time video and imagery to its control station via a data link.

Its size and design allow it to take off and land in high winds, on crowded flight decks, aboard moving vessels, or in landing zones as small as twelve feet. The UAV can be switched to hover mode while in flight to provide a “persistent stare” over targets of interest.

Top it all off with interchangeable and customizable payloads and commanders have a very versatile tool to look over the horizon.