GARC
The United States' GARC is an unmanned surface vessel designed for reconnaissance, featuring a removable center panel that allows mission-specific payloads to be swapped rapidly.
| Subtype | Small unmanned surface vessel |
| Displacement | 2.20 tons |
| Width | 1.75 m (5.7 ft) |
| Length | 4.8 m (15.7 ft) |
| Propulsion | Single 200 hp diesel engine, 163 gal fuel capacity |
| Range | 680 km |
| Maximum speed | 40 knots |
Description
The Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) is an unmanned surface vessel built by BlackSea Technologies of Maryland for the United States Navy.
The vessel is constructed with an aluminum hull featuring a removable center panel that allows for the rapid swapping of mission-specific payloads. It utilizes the MAPC2 control system to facilitate mission planning, autonomous navigation, and remote control. The system incorporates a line-of-sight emergency stop and an open architecture designed to integrate third-party software and government-furnished equipment. The craft can also deploy a scaled-down version of the TALONS towed aerostat to elevate payloads.
The GARC serves with the United States Navy's Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadrons 3 and 7. In active service, the platform has accumulated over 5,000 operational hours. In 2026, United States Central Command deployed the craft to conduct persistent patrol missions with the Fifth Fleet in the Strait of Hormuz area. The vessel operates as a modular node within a broader command-and-control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communications network, utilizing an operational concept developed by Task Force 59.