Splash Industries Typhoon

History

The Typhoon is a small, fast uncrewed surface vessel (USV) built by California-based Splash Industries for national security missions. On October 21, 2026, a Typhoon demonstrated naval interception during the Keen Sword 27 exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, a joint U.S. forces and Japan Self-Defense Forces training event running from October 19 to 29. The demonstration put the boat through an intercept scenario on the water off Iwakuni, on the Seto Inland Sea coast in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

During RIMPAC 2026 off Hawaii in July, a Typhoon autonomously approached the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) and guided itself into the ship's flooded well deck without human intervention; Splash Industries described this as the first fully autonomous underway resupply of a U.S. Navy warship. The Naval Postgraduate School's Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education oversaw the demonstration. During the same 24-hour period, another Typhoon transported uncrewed aerial system components manufactured aboard the USS Essex by U.S. Marine Corps personnel back to shore. In a separate RIMPAC demonstration, a Typhoon navigated rough seas to meet a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier more than 160 km (100 miles) offshore.

In August 2026, Splash Industries introduced the Airstrike Pack, a mission module that allows operators to launch one-way aerial drones from the boat through the company's Splash C2 command-and-control software; the module had already been tested in a force-on-force exercise. The Inglewood, California company emerged from stealth in July 2026 with a $4.2 million funding round led by Ubiquity Ventures.

Specifications

The Typhoon is approximately 3.4 m (11 ft) in length and uses waterjet propulsion; Splash Industries states the compact design produces a relatively low radar cross-section and heat signature on the sea surface. The company states the vessel can sustain speeds above 50 knots (93 km/h); CEO Ivan Avanesov has said the boat reached and held speeds of more than 70 knots (130 km/h) in testing. Operational range is reported at more than 600 nautical miles; manufacturer materials also cite up to 800 nautical miles. The platform provides Level 4 autonomy through the internally developed Splash C2 suite. The boat has a configurable deck that can carry different cargo, sensor, and drone payloads for missions including maritime surveillance, cargo delivery, naval intercept, and UAV launch.