The Navy Is Making Progress on Unmanned Vessels. Now It’s Time to Put Them to Work.
By Chris Servello (OpEd) After years of testing and debating how unmanned surface vessels fit into the fleet, the Navy is starting to show what these systems can do. And...
An Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel, attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59, conducts surveillance in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 21, 2023. U.S. Army Photo
By Chris Servello (OpEd) After years of testing and debating how unmanned surface vessels fit into the fleet, the Navy is starting to show what these systems can do. And there’s a lot to like.
Recent operations in the Persian Gulf have demonstrated their value. The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group has deployed with a medium unmanned surface vessel. Industry is delivering increasingly capable platforms. And senior leaders in the Department of War and Department of the Navy are talking less about the promise of unmanned warfare and more about making it part of everyday operations.
That’s progress, and the Navy, its sailors and industry partners deserve credit.
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