This is the “Sead 23”, the first maritime drone received by the Spanish Navy, almost invisible to radar and created by a Galician company

As the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have shown, the use of military drones has become normalized and they now constitute a new arsenal. Spain also integrates them into its armed forces. Until now it has been aerial drones, but now an unmanned surface vehicle is coming.

At the end of 2022, the Navy finalized the purchase of three units of the M5D-Airfox, a drone developed and manufactured by Spain, from the Galician company Marine Instruments. Sirtap, Airbus’ high-performance tactical unmanned aerial system, is also coming. The Moguer Unmanned Systems Test Center (Huelva) is expected to host before the end of the year the first flight of this drone, designed and developed 80% in Spain.

And now, while Indra is developing the Valero multi-purpose aerial vehicle, the Spanish Navy has received the Sead 23, a USV (unmanned surface Vehicle) maritime drone. Its difference is that It’s a surface vehicle. Created by the Galician Seadrone, a subsidiary of Zelenza, its great virtue is to avoid or limit the deployment of human resources in high-risk situations.

It was at the end of 2024 that the Navy and Seadrone signed the contract for the supply of this USV for 1.1 million euros. The Sead 23 is designed to perform, among other things, support tasks such as patrol, escort, location and tracking objectives, coastal reconnaissance and study of the seabed.

Zelenza describes it as a fast closed-deck semi-rigid boatpowered by a diesel engine and a water propeller. “In addition to being manned as an option, it has great autonomy, is very poorly detectable by radar and has a very high survivability,” specifies the company.

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The Sead 23 is a naval drone, which, according to its manufacturer, allows it to better exploit its capabilities compared to suitable manned ships. You can assume missions of all kinds reducing personal risksoperating under the concept of team with and without pilot (collaboration between manned and unmanned platforms).

The drone was built from fiberglass. Its modular design allows you to integrate high quality optical and infrared cameras, mass spectrometers, RF signal detectors, jammers for electronic warfare and remote weapon stationsin addition to deploying sonar or remotely operated submersible vehicle (ROV) for underwater operations.

He also has his offensive side. It can equip Remotely Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS) like Leonardo’s Lionfish (caliber 12.7 mm or 30 mm), light 20 kg torpedoes, mines or stray munitions like the home-made MILVUS with a warhead of up to 1.4 kg.

One of its most notable applications is in Marine Corps amphibious operations. In this context, Sead 23 can achieve immediate recognition and bathymetry of landing zones, eliminating the risk currently incurred by on-board personnel. Furthermore, in the missions of mine combatcan serve as a platform to tow sonars or underwater vehicles that identify and neutralize long-range threats without exposing manned mine warfare vessels.

According to Zelenza, the Sead 23 can strengthen maritime surveillance and security capabilities in strategic points such as the Strait of Gibraltar and coastal surveillance. In this scenario, it can protect critical infrastructure, submarine cables and control maritime traffic and, in the event of piracy, use its weapons as a response force element.