The chief of naval operations said she's bullish on the Navy’s ability to operate a manned-unmanned fleet within the next decade or so. The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, for example, is known to have relatively bad visibility year-round. But for high-end operations, "you need to have both manned and unmanned assets complement each other." The surface fleet has shot down scores of attack drones and missiles since October, activity without modern precedent in U.S. Navy history. Four medium USV prototypes spent five months in the region working with the Navy-Marine team and allies to push the limits of concepts of operations. The Navy fleet is experimenting with launching and recovering medium UUVs from submarines, even as a formal acquisition effort is still ongoing. The mini missile fire was part of an exercise by a unit working to develop the Navy's drone and artificial intelligence technologies. Watch the robotic goat walk, beg, hop and sway its hips. The buildup reflects U.S. concern that the deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel could escalate into a more dangerous regional conflict. By Tara Copp, AP
7 months ago SECNAV aims to help programs of record adjust to changing fleet requirements, and to go outside the acquisition process to solve the most urgent needs. Load More