The United States Navy is the most powerful blue-water navy in the world, and it takes a lot to keep it running. While the Navy’s aircraft carriers, submarines, and other various types of modern warships get most of the attention, that’s hardly all the service employs. Moving all manner of cargo is an essential task for the Navy, and it has been since the beginning. To that end, as the Navy looks to the future, it is embracing autonomously operated vessels to help.
Blue Water, a defense contractor, developed the Liberty class of medium-sized uncrewed surface vessels that can operate for up to three months and cross the Pacific Ocean completely independently. This is an amazing achievement in naval automation, and it could be used to deliver much-needed medical, food, or other supplies, including weapons and ammunition, anywhere in the world.
The Navy, and other militaries around the world, are shifting from entirely crewed large vessels to a hybridized fleet that contains both conventional ships and autonomous ones. With the addition of Liberty Class ships, the U.S. Navy would take a significant step in that direction, as they’d act as force multipliers by reducing the manpower needed for logistical operations, freeing them up for warfighter duties.
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