The Navy Is Adding Robotic Warships to Its Deadly Arsenal

David Axe

Security,

The Navy between 2020 and 2024 wants to spend around $4 billion buying 10 large unmanned surface vessels and nine unmanned submarines.

It's official. The U.S. Navy as part of the 2020 budget request is asking Congress to fund the fleet's first robotic warships.

The Navy between 2020 and 2024 wants to spend around $4 billion buying 10 large unmanned surface vessels and nine unmanned submarines.

The robotic vessels could help the Navy to grow the fleet despite proposed cuts and slowdowns in the acquisition of traditional manned vessels. Senior Navy leaders increasingly worry that big warships, some crewed by hundreds of sailors, are too vulnerable to Russian and Chinese missiles.

The Navy wants $206 billion in 2020, an increase of $9.5 billion over the service's 2019 budget. "The increased funding is beginning to reverse the erosion of our military advantage and we are on a better trajectory to restore that competitive advantage," the Navy stated. "This budget is strategy-driven and balanced to maximize our naval power. The budget fields a formidable force in all domains of naval operations."

The $206 billion includes $61 billion for weapons-procurement, a reduction of $400 million compared to 2019. The 2020 proposal includes $20 billion for research and development, a $2-billion boost compared to the previous year. Portions of the future robotic fleet fall under each account.

In all under the budget proposal, the Navy would buy 55 large manned warships through 2024. The sailing branch also would acquire 10 large drone ships and nine drone submarines. In other words, robotic ships would account for a quarter of shipbuilding starts over the five-year period.

The Navy is asking Congress for $2.7 billion to buy 10 large unmanned surface vessels, or LUSVs. The robot spending spree would begin with $370 million in 2020, "leading to the transition of USV prototypes and associated payloads from [research and development] to procurement beginning in [fiscal year] 2021." There's also a smaller account for a "medium" USV.

The large robot ship "will serve as both a sensor and a shooter" U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Randy Critestold reporters on March 12, 2019. The drone ships will be "smaller [and] more attritable than conventional ships, in addition to being more affordable."