US Navy eyes using UUVs to protect Columbia submarines
The US Navy is examining how it could use unmanned undersea vehicles to protect its manned ballistic missile submarines, according to a key service official.
The navy’s undersea warfare division is working with the navy’s first UUV squadron, UUVRON-1, to develop operational concepts for that protection, said RADM John Tammen, the division’s director, who spoke on 26 February at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.
UUVRON-1, which the navy stood up in September 2017, is based at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport in Washington state.
Tammen noted that the navy currently fields small and medium-sized UUVs and is developing large
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition]()
Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition
Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.
-
![The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come]()
The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come
Designed as a multi-role frigate with both anti-submarine and air defence capabilities, Naval Group’s medium-sized FDI frigate increasingly stands out as a success story in an industry wrought with delays.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
