NEW ORLEANS – Technology that sent unmanned aircraft over Iraq and Afghanistan soon could be steering unstaffed naval boats for dangerous tasks such as minesweeping, submarine detection, intelligence gathering and approaching hostile vessels.

Defense contractor Textron Inc. demonstrated what it calls its Common Unmanned Surface Vessel technology Thursday at its Textron Marine & Land Systems shipyard in New Orleans.

“The unmanned vessels will keep the dull, dirty and dangerous jobs away from our personnel,” said Ryan Hazlett, director of the advanced systems group of AAI, another Textron subsidiary.

The boat — painted in Navy gray and with a striking resemblance to a PT boat — is 39 feet long and can reach a top speed of 28 knots. Using a modified version of the unmanned Shadow surveillance aircraft technology that logged 700,000 hours of duty in the Middle East, the boat can be controlled remotely from 10 to 12 miles away from a command station on land, at sea or in the air, Hazlett said.

Farther out, it can be switched to a satellite control system, which Textron said could expand its range to 1,200 miles. The boat could be launched from virtually any large Navy vessel.

It’s not the first unmanned boat. But Hazlett said others generally have been boats simply refitted with remote control equipment. The CUSV was designed from the first step not to have a crew.

“It uses space without having to worry about the things that are required for a manned vessel,” he said.

Using diesel fuel, the boat can operate for up to 72 hours without refueling, depending upon its traveling speed and the weight of equipment being carried, said Stanley DeGeus, senior business development director for AAI’s advanced systems. The fuel supply could be extended for up to a week on slow-moving reconnaissance missions, he said.

Accompanied by another small vessel with its control equipment, the boat was shown off to the public with a sweep up and down Bayou Sauvage at full speed. The boat can be operated in as little as 5 feet of water because of its shallow draft.