Sea Machines Robotics has revealed that its STEAMRACER-class self-governing surface vessel has progressed into the U.S. Navy’s ultimate competitive assessment stage within the Modular Attack Surface Combatant (MASC) program.
According to a communiqué released on February 18, 2026, Sea Machines affirmed its readiness to furnish a specially designed self-operating craft, leveraging its existing autonomous technology, which the firm states has been refined and implemented over the last ten years.
Since 2015, the firm has allocated over $50 million in venture-funded capital to create and deploy a comprehensive autonomous system architecture. This endeavor aims to resolve what it characterized as a primary engineering hurdle for uncrewed surface craft: the scalable integration of dependable software and hardware components.
The STEAMRACER-type vessel is engineered to facilitate entirely uncrewed naval activities, incorporating a robust, AI-powered distant control framework, as described by the company. The firm indicated the craft is projected to provide swift velocity, prolonged operational reach, adaptable open-deck cargo volume, and a protected internal data infrastructure to aid dispersed maritime missions.
Sea Machines affirmed that although the craft is primarily conceived for uncrewed missions, it can also function in a restricted crewed arrangement for brief periods, should circumstances demand. The firm added that STEAMRACER’s development involves collaborations with several American industrial entities, including St. Johns Ship Building, TOTE Services, Ring Power, Incat Crowther and EMI-W&O. Furthermore, it mentioned that Sierra Nevada Corporation will supply its Maritime Advanced Secure Transmission (MAST) system to fulfill the needs for secure transmissions and digital defense.
Sea Machines characterized the craft as congruent with U.S. Navy initiatives to augment the manufacture of uncrewed surface ships and hasten the deployment of self-governing naval technologies, asserting its aim to deliver what it termed a “presently available” solution.