During the US naval test on the California coast last month, which was designed to show the best autonomous drone ships of the Pentagon, one vessel unexpectedly stopped.
When officials tried to repair the software defect, another drone vessel broke into the starboard of the idle boat, vaulted overboard and hit the water – the incident captured in the videos won by Reuters.
The previously unclear episode concerning two vessels built by US rivals in the defense of Saronic and Blacksea Technologies, is one of the recent failures of the Pentagon pressure to build fleet of autonomous vessels. Weeks earlier, during a separate Navy test, the captain of the support ship was thrown into the water after another autonomous Blacksea vessel that suddenly accelerated, and overturned a support ship, according to four people who met this matter. The captain was rescued and rejected medical care. The incident was first reported to SCOOP defense.
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Both incidents resulted in a combination of software and human fault failure, including failures in communication between on -board systems and external autonomous software, according to a person with direct knowledge of a thing that asked for anonymity to share sensitive information.
The Navy, Saronic and Blacksea refused to comment on the incidents.
Videos showing the fall of drones have been verified by two reuters sources, off-road images corresponding to the landscape, the GARC-096 name ID, and the structure of file frames corresponding to the ship’s global autonomous reconnaissance (GARC). American military leaders who see the excessive impact of naval drones in the war on Ukraine have repeatedly stated that they need autonomous swarms of air and naval drones to prevent the potential progress of China on Taiwan. Tai -wan himself began to acquire his own naval drones.
Drones that develop in Ukraine, which often look like speed boats without seats and are able to transmit weapons, explosives and supervisory equipment, are primarily remotely controlled and costs nearly $ 250,000-what is optimal for kamikaze missions that effectively unnecessary neutralize the Russian sea fleet.
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Meanwhile, the US is trying to build an autonomous naval fleet, which can move in swarms and without human command – a more ambitious task at a higher price; Up to several million dollars per boat. Recent test failure emphasizes challenges facing the navy efforts to deploy nascent technologies, said Bryan Clark, an autonomous warning expert at the Hudson Institute. He will have to adapt his “tactics because he understands what systems can do and what they can’t do”.
However, the Navy’s problems go beyond the ships to work: its autonomous units for the acquisition of naval drones were also swinging by launching its Supreme Admiral and the highest Pentagon official expressed concern about the program at the sincere meeting with the Brass Navy last month, Reuters found out.
Since the last incident, the Pentagon defense unit (DIU), which has received tests for tests, has indefinitely suspended a contract – awarded nearly $ 20 million – with L3Harris, one of the companies providing autonomous software used to control some vessels.
The Pentagon did not answer questions about the cause of accidents or the L3Harris contract, which was suspended, which was not previously reported.
The Pentagon spokesman said he had conducted drones tests in the “competitive and iteration approach between operators and industry”.
L3Harris refused to comment on the contract and direct the questions on the DIU. Diu refused to comment.
“L3Harris is behind the safety, integrity and ability of our autonomy and control product,” said Toby Magsig, who oversees L3Harris autonomous software products.
Rising of sea drones
In order to speed up his drones’ efforts, the Pentagon launched a $ 1 billion replication program in 2023, through branches such as the US Navy and Diu planned to obtain thousands of air and maritime drones along with the software that controls them. The first systems from this program are to be announced this month.
The Navy committed to at least $ 160 million, Blacksea, which, according to public procurement records, produces dozens of its global autonomous reconnaissance craft ships per month.
Saronic, which was recently awarded $ 4 billion in a financial round, supported by Andreessen Horowitz and 8VC, makes competing sea drones Corsair, but have to announce the main contract. Federal records of public procurement show that the company has generated at least $ 20 million from prototype agreements.
“These systems will play a critical role in the future of the maritime war by extending the reach of the fleet, improving the situation awareness and increasing the efficiency of the fight,” said the reigning chief of the naval operations Jim Kilby during a visit to Blacksea in June.
Navy
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has made a swarm of drones with the highest military priority. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed last month included nearly $ 5 billion for naval autonomous systems.
So far, however, the naval approach has faced skepticism under the new administration.
In April, the Navy Drone Ships were a key unit – known as Unlunged and Small Comtatants (PEO USC) – a successful demonstration of the Blacksea vessels in LinkedIn’s post, which is “the main step forward in the #Maritime Autonomy procedure”. In response to Colin Carroll, the then head of employees to Deputy Minister of Defense Steven Feinberg, proposed that the program duplicates further efforts in the Pentagon. “I feel that there are changes in this program in the future,” LinkedIn replied. Carroll, who is no longer with the Pentagon, refused to comment on.
Peo USC has recently been checked by four people who are familiar with this matter because of a number of failures, and could be restructured or closed.
This comes two months after the Navy said it was released by the unit leader, the back of the Admiral Kevin Smith, because of the loss of confidence in his leadership after the naval inspector’s general questioned the complaint against him. Reuters could not contact Smith.
Last month, Feinberg grilled navy officials about their autonomous vessel abilities, including those acquired by the Peo USC, according to three people informed at a meeting. Feinberg was not confused by some of the abilities acquired and questioned whether they were cost -effective, people said.
The Pentagon spokesman said, “We will not comment on private internal meetings” and direct questions about the PEO USC on the Navy.
The Navy refused to comment on a meeting or an acquisition unit that has been inspected. Timothy spokesman Hawkins said that Peo USC stands, including its role, the acquisition authorities for maintenance and modernization of unmanned naval systems.
Hitting boots come when boat builders and software providers fish to ensure even more autonomous naval projects such as unmanned submarines and cargo transmission.
Last week, Peo USC began to accept designs for modular offensive surface vessels to obtain medium and large vessels capable of transmitting containers, supervisory equipment and blowing.
TX Hammes, an autonomous weapon expert and a member of the Atlantic Council, said that the Navy is in uncharted waters and has been trying to overcome decades of tradition at high speed.
“You have a system that is used to build big things, takes years to decide, and now you suddenly ask them to move fast,” he said.
Responding to responsibility: This story has been published from the Agency’s wire feed without text modifications. Only the title has been changed.
(Tagstotranslate) Autonomous drone ships
