Navy emphasizing unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) in Middle East operations

MANAMA, Bahrain – U.S. Navy leaders are emphasizing unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in their testbed effort for new platforms operating in U.S. Central Command, says Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. USNI News reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

19 Jan. 2022 -- Starting this month, the International Maritime Exercise 22 will build on a special unmanned group that has been operating in the 5th Fleet since September. Ten of 60 nations are bringing autonomous surface vessels to the exercise in what will be the largest unmanned exercise in the world. Task Force 59, created last year to help the Navy expand its unmanned systems testing, quickly evolved into working with regional partners -- first with Bahrain, and then Jordan.

Ten of those nations are bringing unmanned platforms. It’ll be the largest unmanned exercise in the world,” Cooper, the commander of 5th Fleet, said at an event co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute.

Task Force 59, created last year to help the Navy expand its unmanned systems testing across domains, quickly evolved into working with regional partners – first with Bahrain, and then Jordan. “We’re taking off-the-shelf emerging technology in unmanned, coupling with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, in really moving at pace to bring new capabilities to the region," Cooper says.

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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics