Seasats

Seasats is a San Diego-based company that designs and manufactures autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) for military and commercial applications. Founded in 2020, Seasats produces solar-powered ASVs under the product name Lightfish, which can operate autonomously in all maritime environments for up to six months. The company's flagship product, the X3 micro-ASV, features a unique low-signature waterline design that makes it difficult to detect by sight and radar. Seasats' ASVs are designed to be versatile, with a modular payload bay that can accommodate various sensors and equipment for different missions. The vehicles are also compact and portable, allowing for easy deployment.

Seasats' ASVs can be used for a wide range of applications, including monitoring and predicting harmful algal blooms, mapping undersea reefs and vegetation, tracking marine mammals, hydrographic surveys, infrastructure monitoring, and scientific discovery. In the military sector, these vehicles enhance capabilities in counter-piracy, mine clearing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare operations. In June 2024, Seasats and L3Harris Technologies successfully demonstrated the capabilities of an ASV during a 2,500-mile journey from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, showcasing the vehicle's seaworthiness and ability to operate continuously in challenging conditions.

Key customers and partnerships

Seasats has established partnerships with several organizations in both the military and scientific sectors. In 2021, the company participated in pilot missions with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to probe water quality and conduct near-shore mapping and acoustic monitoring of sea mammals.

The US Navy has shown significant interest in Seasats' technology. In 2022, the company was invited to participate in the Navy's "Digital Horizon 2022" exercise, which focused on developing maritime domain awareness and accelerating robotic and artificial intelligence maritime capabilities. Seasats has also been involved with the Navy's Task Force 59, exploring artificial intelligence and unmanned technologies in the Arabian Peninsula.

In October 2022, L3Harris Technologies made a strategic investment of approximately USD 10 million in Seasats to accelerate the development and production of the X3 micro-ASV. This partnership aims to enhance the autonomous capabilities, artificial intelligence, and endurance of the X3 while potentially reducing production time by up to 75%.