US Navy adopts new strategy prioritizing ‘the building blocks’ of unmanned tech
By Megan Eckstein
Friday, Jan 28
The Strategic Capabilities Office's Ghost Fleet Overlord USVs, Nomad and Ranger, conduct underway operations off the coast of California in 2021. They were transiting waters almost entirely in autonomous mode. (Eric Parsons/U.S. Navy)
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is unlikely to pursue a formal program for unmanned surface vessels in the next five years, instead focusing on the enabling technologies first, several leaders said this month.
The Navy in fiscal 2020 laid out an aggressive plan to buy a handful of prototype medium and large USVs and then quickly transition into a program of record using shipbuilding funds. The service acknowledged it would adjust the program-of-record USV design over time to incorporate lessons learned as prototypes hit the water.
Leaders argued this strategy was necessary because the technology was key to the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations concept, and because there was no time to waste in building and fielding the vessels.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/01/28/us-navy-adopts-new-strategy-prioritizing-the-building-blocks-of-unmanned-tech/
