Screengrab from YouTube video The U.S. Navy has used its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) as a one-way attack drone boat in a live-fire exercise for the first time, targeting the decommissioned amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 exercise near Hawaii. The July 17 strike was carried out by the Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Division 32 (USVDIV-32), which deployed two GARC unmanned surface vessels during a SINKEX (sinking exercise). The attack formed part of a coordinated strike package in which the target had already been hit by submarine-launched Harpoon missiles, air-launched anti-ship weapons, land-based missiles and helicopter-fired precision weapons. The GARCs were sent in after those attacks and detonated near the ship’s waterline, adding localised structural damage and flooding to the damage already inflicted on the vessel. The exercise allowed the Navy to evaluate how small autonomous surface vessels could be used alongside conventional weapons during large-scale naval operations. RIMPAC 2026, held between June 24 and July 31, involved 30 nations, about 30 ships, five submarines, more than 190 aircraft, 15 national land forces and over 30,000 personnel. The exercise also allowed the Navy to integrate the GARC into a multinational command-and-control network. Video released by the U.S. Navy after the exercise showed unmanned surface vessels operating around the heavily damaged USS Peleliu. The footage showed extensive damage around the waterline and water entering the ship after multiple strikes. According to the Navy, the footage was recorded by the second GARC after the attack. Sarah Weinstein, the first commanding officer of USVDIV-32, said in a LinkedIn post that she was “honored that USVDIV-32 was given the opportunity to execute the Navy’s first GARC Live Fire during RIMPAC 2026.” “It was incredible to watch my team execute with precision, and we were thrilled to