The "Needle Fish" in the Persian Gulf: Kuwait receives advanced unmanned patrol boats

Needlefish

The American company Ocean Infinity, known for its underwater research, decided to expand its horizons and created a high-speed unmanned patrol vessel called Needlefish. This is not just a boat, but a real technical masterpiece for marine surveillance. The vessel is 14 meters long, 6 meters wide, and it is equipped with two jet engines, which allows it to reach speeds of more than 40 knots (over 70 km/h), and some sources indicate even more than 40 miles per hour. This speed is achieved thanks to the catamaran's unique "cutting waves" design.

Needlefish is designed specifically for Kuwait's difficult conditions and is capable of patrolling vast territories — up to 11,000 km2. It is equipped with a complex of advanced surveillance sensors, including cameras, radars and RF sensors, which allows monitoring both above and below water, transmitting data in real time to command centers. The boat is controlled remotely.

A key feature is its integration into the advanced SRT C5iSR marine surveillance system from SRT Marine Systems. This integrated system, controlled by artificial intelligence, creates a national surveillance network for Kuwait. The first two drones have already been handed over to the Kuwait Coast Guard, and one of them recently demonstrated its capabilities during exercises for senior officials.

It is important to note that in the current configuration, Needlefish has no weapons and is intended exclusively for reconnaissance, surveillance, mapping and geodetic work. Meanwhile, in March 2025, the Pentagon unveiled its prototype of the USX-1 Defiant unmanned surface vessel, a much larger 54—meter (180 ft), 240-ton ship designed for fully autonomous long-duration missions.