Can the US Navy afford its plans to operate a manned/unmanned fleet?
Boeing XLUUV/Orca performs at-sea mission sorties along the California coast. (Photo: Boeing)
Budgetary constraints and the annual procurement rate could impact the branch’s intention to have a hybrid fleet.
The US Navy (USN) could face obstacles in accomplishing its plans to operationally integrate robotic and autonomous systems into its fleet by 2027, with a fleet of 134 large unmanned surface and underwater vehicles by 2054, as the branch’s Navigation Plan 2024 and the FY2025 Annual Long-Range Plan for Naval Vessel Construction stated.
The main challenge will be funding efforts to rapidly develop, evaluate and acquire unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
In its FY2025 budget request, the branch proposed more than US$32 billion for shipbuilding investment, which included the purchase of six manned battle force ships.
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