The Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the huge Pacific Ocean in order to extend the reach of firepower and keep sailors safe in the face of a growing threat from China.
The Navy is accelerating the construction of those robotic ships as an inexpensive means of keeping up with China's expanding fleet while pledging not to repeat expensive shipbuilding mistakes from recent years.
This summer, a multi-nation navy exercise in the Pacific Ocean will include the four largest drone ships.
The Navy's 5th Fleet has already begun using smaller aquatic drones in the waters off the Middle East.
The Navy says it wants to investigate in the coming years how the radar and sensors on these research vessels can be integrated with artificial intelligence, along with conventional cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and aircraft carriers, to create a networked fleet that is resilient because it is spread over greater distances and more challenging for adversaries to destroy.
It is important to advance technology and have faith in one's ability. Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley, commanding officer of California's Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One, emphasized that everything takes time.
According to James Holmes, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, the Navy believes the technology can assist with the three elements of military success — weapons range, reconnaissance, and command and control — at a lower cost and danger to humans.
All of those advantages, as well as long-term robustness in a severe saltwater environment, must be demonstrated, he added.
"With the tech, we're kind of in Jerry Maguire'show me the money' zone. It will surely be helpful, but whether it will change the game is far less certain, according to Holmes, who is not speaking on behalf of the Navy.
After a string of shipbuilding disasters, the Navy must first win over a Congress that is wary before moving forward.
Its swift littoral combat ships have experienced propulsion issues, which have caused early retirements. Due to the high cost of ammunition, the "Advanced Gun System" on its stealth destroyer proved a failure. Additionally, the elevators on its newest aircraft carrier and the aircraft's new launch system both had issues.
The Navy was criticized for rushing to install too much new equipment on certain ships, which resulted in breakdowns and increased expenses.
Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat and former Navy officer, stated, "We can't just throw all the resources at (robotic ships) with the track record of 20 years of failed ship programs."
According to Michael Stewart, the task force's head, the Navy's Unmanned Task Force is adopting a novel strategy, using a military version of the venture capital model to speed new concepts and going forward only after technologies are validated.
During the RIMPAC war games this summer, four sizable drone ships are operating alongside traditional ships.
These include the diesel-powered Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk, which include outriggers for stability in choppy waters. The other two are the oil platform replenishment ships Ranger and Nomad. They feature spacious flat decks from which a missile was successfully launched the previous year.
According to Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, spokesman for the 5th Fleet, the Navy is already seeing encouraging results with smaller, commercially available vessels that are being evaluated by Task Force 59, which is part of the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, while those larger vessels are being tested in the Pacific.
The sail-powered and solar-powered Saildrone is one of the boats that attracted attention. Saildrones are advertised as being able to fly independently for months at a time without maintenance or resupply because they are equipped with radar and cameras.
According to the 5th Fleet, the U.S. Navy and its international allies plan to deploy 100 crewless vessels by next summer as a result of the success of global exercises last winter.
Adm. Mike Gilday, the head of naval operations, predicts that by 2045, there will be a combination of 150 large crewless surface boats and submersibles. Additionally, there are more than 350 ships of the traditional fighting force.
The $433 million for crewless surface vessels and the $284 million for subsurface vessels are both included in the Navy's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to Gilday, the Navy's top officer, these ships have the potential to greatly increase the fleet's effectiveness when combined with AI. However, he claimed that the Navy approaches research and development "in an evolutionary, methodical, and informed type of way."
According to Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute, the major benefit of robotic ships is that they might be manufactured at a tenth of the price of conventional warships as the Navy battles to keep up with China and Russia. In terms of ship numbers, the United States already trails China, and the difference widens yearly.
Bryan Clark, a defense expert at the Hudson Institute, said that Congress isn't rushing to support new initiatives. According to Clark, "Congress expects the Navy to have a sound plan and then pursue it forcefully."
Luria claimed on Capitol Hill that crewless ships would have a use, possibly in the replacement of missile capabilities for ships the Navy wishes to retire. However, a lot of research and development is required to persuade Congress to make a significant investment in ships without sailors.
Luria, a Democrat from Virginia, said, "I just don't think the technology is developed enough now to make a wholesale commitment."
Gilday has informed Sen. Mazie Hirono, leader of the seapower subcommittee, that the Navy is "aware of not moving too hastily on unproven technology," according to Hirono.
Before deciding to purchase a fleet, the Navy must do thorough testing with prototypes, according to Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii.
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