Without crew on the high seas: How the U.S. Navy is Testing the Future of Naval Warfare

 

Robotic warships are no longer from the realm of fantasy — they are already sailing the oceans. Now the main task of the US Navy is not whether they can do it, but how exactly to use these revolutionary machines. From the prototypes of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to the giant, fully unmanned USX-1 Defiant, the navy is actively testing the limits of autonomy, trying to understand how far it can go without a single sailor on board.

The future of the Navy on the high seas seems to be deserted. Ships like the unmanned test platforms USS Mariner and USS Ranger, as well as the recently launched USX-1 Defiant, offer tremendous opportunities. They can carry sensors, weapons, or perform reconnaissance, providing a powerful presence on the water without putting people's lives at risk and without requiring complex infrastructure for crew life support.

The history of these projects began back in 2010 with an ambitious DARPA program called ACTUV (Autonomous Vessel for Continuous Tracking of Submarines). The idea was audacious: to create a ship capable of indefinitely chasing enemy diesel-electric submarines around the world without needing a crew change or refueling. In 2016, the 40-meter (132 ft) Sea Hunter trimaran was born from this program. This prototype has been successfully tested, proving that a fully autonomous vessel can navigate the ocean safely and efficiently, observing the rules of navigation and avoiding collisions.

Now the US Navy is taking this concept to a new level. The USX-1 Defiant, launched in March 2025, is no longer a prototype, but a 54—meter (180 ft) ship with a displacement of 240 tons, designed specifically to carry out complex, fully autonomous combat missions. It symbolizes the transition from experimentation to the creation of real combat platforms. The main advantages of such ships are a sharp reduction in operating costs, the possibility of prolonged stay at sea and the ability to operate in high—risk areas.

Now the navy is facing a new challenge: how to integrate these "smart ships" into existing tactics? How can we provide them with reliable communication and protection from cyber attacks? And how can we build the trust of commanders in the decisions made by artificial intelligence? The answers to these questions will determine how soon autonomous ships will move from the category of experiments to the combat units of the fleet of the future.