U.S. Navy increasingly looks to unmanned vehicles and machine autonomy to improve maritime combat abilities
WASHINGTON – A massive expansion in the number of drones is emerging as part of a U.S. Navy maritime combat plan to add as many as twenty-one medium and large-size drone boats over just the next five years. Kris Osborn at The National Interest reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
23 Feb. 2021 -- The Navy just released its 30-year shipbuilding plan which, reflects the growing emphasis on unmanned systems, machine autonomy, and drone-human connectivity when it comes to maritime combat.
Between now and 2026, Navy leaders say they hope to acquire 12 Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs), one Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) and eight Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vessels (XLUUVs) -- 21 new drones over the next five years.
Navy officials are moving quickly to design and build a new large unmanned surface vehicle which could operate in a command and control, surveillance, submarine-hunting, or even surface warfare attack and missile defense capacity.
Related: Unmanned submarines seen as key to dominating the world’s oceans
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
