How Surface Warships Are Evolving for the Drone Age
Tim Ripley
07/06/2026
Naval history is full of turning points. Some are real, some turn out to be false dawns. Over the past 150 years, there have been plenty of moments when navies found their ships and technology were completely outclassed by their enemies. In 1906, the Royal Navy's new Dreadnought battleships rendered every other warship in the world obsolete. When Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft struck the US naval base at Pearl Harbour in 1941 it heralded the era of the aircraft carrier. The launching of the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, in 1954, allowed nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles to be based underwater, changing the nuclear balance of power.
The Cold War also brought many false dawns, with some senior naval commanders thinking that nuclear weapons would render all surface warships obsolete. Surface warships - frigates, destroyers and corvettes - however, proved their worth on countless occasions in the last half of the 20th century that no serious navy would now contemplate not having some of them in service.
In the 21st century, the rationale for operating warships remains essentially the same. In peacetime or international crisis, nothing sends a political or diplomatic message like the arrival of a big warship in disputed waters or an ally's harbour. In wartime, it may still be necessary to dominate a sea zone with sensors and weapons.
The Drone Revolution and the Changing Maritime Threat
https://www.defenceiq.com/naval-maritime-defence/articles/how-surface-warships-are-evolving-for-the-drone-age
