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13 Aug 2026
When it Comes to Autonomous Boats: Show, Don’t Tell
Anyone who has attended a writer’s conference has heard writers, editors, agents and publishers repeat the same mantra: “Show, don’t tell.” You can likely intuit what this means, but just to be clear, if you are writing a western thriller and you are describing a bar fight, it can’t be told matter-of-factly. The reader has to hear the crash of beer bottles against the bar’s mirror, feel the gunshots and root for the sheriff.What does this have to do with uncrewed maritime systems?
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18 Mar 2025
Uncrewed Maritime Vessels Must Leverage AI
In September 2024, the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, issued her Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy. This Navigation Plan embodies “Project 33” in recognition of the fact that Admiral Franchetti is the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations. Project 33 sets targets for enabling the U.S. Navy to make strategically meaningful gains in the fastest possible time.
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23 Dec 2024
The U.S. Navy’s New Navigation Plan: Anticipating the Impact on Uncrewed Surface Systems
In September 2024, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, issued her Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy. Admiral Franchetti describes this Navigation Plan as the strategic guidance to the U.S. Navy.This Navigation Plan embodies “Project 33” in recognition of the fact that Admiral Franchetti is the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations. Project 33…
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22 Aug 2023
Unmanned Maritime Systems Development Accelerates
There is little question that world militaries see the value of unmanned systems to complement their manned counterparts. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan accelerated the development of unmanned aerial systems and unmanned ground systems to meet urgent operational needs. Now, there is increasing interest in unmanned surface systems, resulting in their placement on an accelerated development path.Like their air and ground counterparts…
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18 Jul 2023
U.S. Navy: Unmanned Maritime Systems Development Accelerates
There is little question that world militaries see the value of unmanned systems to complement their manned counterparts. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan accelerated the development of unmanned aerial systems and unmanned ground systems to meet urgent operational needs. Now, there is increasing interest in unmanned surface systems, resulting in their placement on an accelerated development path.Like their air and ground counterparts…
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21 Nov 2022
Are Unmanned Surface Vessels the Key to a 500-Ship U.S. Navy?
In an era of great power competition, navies – by virtue of their ability to span the globe and effectively deliver combat power – are likely to be the sine qua non of military power. This leads, naturally, to the tendency to count numbers of ship hulls when comparing the strength of navies. Lost on no one is the fact that the size of China’s Navy now exceeds that of the U.S. Navy, and the gap in ship numbers is growing.During the Cold War…