The Future Is Now: Navy’s Autonomous Swarmboats Can Overwhelm Adversaries

As autonomy and unmanned systems grow in importance for naval operations, officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced today a technological breakthrough that will allow any unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to not only protect Navy ships, but also, for the first time, autonomously “swarm” offensively on hostile vessels.

The first-of-its-kind technology—successfully demonstrated over two weeks in August on the James River in Virginia—allows unmanned Navy vessels to overwhelm an adversary. Its sensors and software enable swarming capability, giving naval warfighters a decisive edge.

“This networking unmanned platforms demonstration was a cost-effective way to integrate many small, cheap, and autonomous capabilities that can significantly improve our warfighting advantage,” said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations.

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