The U.S. Navy and its defense industry partners are moving beyond the prototyping phase and toward production of cutting-edge drone boats, a key Pentagon official said this week. Rebecca J. Gassler, the Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for robotic and autonomous systems, told an audience in Washington that the Navy specifically needs medium unmanned surface vessels, generally defined as vessels between about 40 and 170 feet long.

Increased Funding

The Trump administration’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget includes major funding increases for aerial and ground drones, but the largest percentage increases would go to the medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) mentioned by Ms. Gassler, along with other unmanned systems. The 2027 budget request includes $54.6 billion for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, which oversees the effort to produce and field drones in huge numbers.

The Navy intends to deploy more than 30 medium USVs, along with thousands of smaller USVs, in the Indo-Pacific by 2030. Uncrewed sea drones will carry out a host of missions, from potential combat operations to equipment delivery and rescues.

Challenges Ahead

However, there are questions about whether the U.S. defense industrial base can move fast enough to build them on time and under budget. Rep. Pat Harrigan, North Carolina Republican, expressed concerns about the ability of the defense industrial base to absorb the increased funding effectively and efficiently.

Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.