Navy envisions big future for the sort of unmanned ships now being tested in San Diego (original) (raw)

The experimental, unmanned ships the Navy is testing out of San Diego and other ports will become a large and crucial part of the fleet, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said Monday at the West 2024 conference in San Diego.

Franchetti said it will take about 15 years to fully develop and test autonomous surface vessels, along with new aerial and undersea platforms, Defense One reported.

The robotic vehicles are meant to supplement the Navy’s manned warships, rather than replace them.

The Navy created an unmanned surface vessel program in 2022 in San Diego, where it has been testing such ships as USV Sea Hunter, considered a good platform for surveillance and reconnaissance, and possibly anti-submarine and anti-mine measures.

The program is strongly supported by Franchetti, who has served on many ships, including the San Diego-based hospital vessel USNS Mercy, which returned Monday from a five-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

Hit the beach

Camp Pendleton Marines will test an experimental Stern Landing Vehicle (SLV) in their boat basin on Feb. 23. The exercise is part of a larger effort to develop boats that can more effectively move Marines between islands and shorelines in the Indo-Pacific.

Defense experts say more modern boats are needed, because the Marines could have to fight across many islands in the Indo-Pacific should China invade Taiwan, as it has threatened to do. The Biden administration has said it would come to Taiwan’s aid if an invasion occurs.

The U.S. Naval Institute, which tracks fleet operations, says three San Diego-based amphibious warships — USS Boxer, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Somerset — will deploy to that region this spring, carrying the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton.

Port call

San Diego-based warships are a common sight at some Pacific islands, notably Guam, which is home to more than 20,000 U.S. military personnel. The 1,093-foot carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt docked at Guam on Feb. 6. The “TR,” as many called it, was accompanied by the cruiser USS Lake Erie and the destroyer USS Halsey, which also are based in San Diego.

Most of the personnel stationed in Guam are members of the Navy. But an increasing number of Marines are being added.

Originally Published: February 14, 2024 at 4:46 PM PST