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Video by Chief Petty Officer Carlos Vazquez II, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jasmin Aquino

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FLEX 2026 in Key West, Florida

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet

April 30, 2026 | 4:35

U.S. Navy Sailors, Soldiers and civilian government workers prepare, launch and control unmanned aerial systems and surface vehicles during the annual Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) 2026 event in Key West, Fla., from April 24-30, 2026. Hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, the exercise integrates commercially developed unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with traditional manned naval platforms. FLEX 2026 features comprehensive collaboration across the Department of War and industry to demonstrate a sophisticated kill chain that successfully found, tracked and engaged captured drug boats. The campaign focuses on operationalizing advanced robotic and autonomous systems to combat transnational organized crime and patrol vast maritime regions. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jasmin L. Aquino and Chief Mass Communication Specialist Carlos M. Vazquez II) Platforms (in order of appearance): - Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) - Aerosonde unmanned aerial system (UAS) - Tsunami unmanned surface vehicle (USV) - Beechcraft Super King aircraft - Vanilla unmanned aerial system (UAS) - The Trials and Research Vessel NAWC 38 - Orca unmanned aerial system (UAS)

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