Pentagon's ambitious sea drone fleet faces turbulent waters

The US Navy’s push to build a fleet of autonomous maritime drones has suffered multiple recent setbacks, highlighting the technical and organizational challenges in advancing unmanned naval warfare.

In a US naval test off the California coast last month, one of the Pentagon’s top autonomous drone boats stalled unexpectedly. As technicians scrambled to fix the glitch, another drone vessel crashed into the stationary boat, vaulted over its deck, and plunged back into the sea — a dramatic incident captured on video, according to Reuters.

The collision involved vessels built by defence tech rivals Saronic and BlackSea Technologies and is among a series of failures plaguing the Navy's autonomous systems program. Just weeks prior, a separate incident saw a support boat capsize after a BlackSea drone it was towing suddenly accelerated. “The captain was rescued and declined medical attention,” sources said.

A person familiar with the programs said both mishaps stemmed from “a combination of software failures and human error,” including communication breakdowns between internal systems and external autonomous control software.

Neither the Navy nor the companies involved — Saronic, BlackSea, or software provider L3Harris — commented on the accidents. However, L3Harris stated: “L3Harris stands behind the safety, integrity and capability of our autonomy command-and-control product.”

The Pentagon has since paused a nearly $20 million contract with L3Harris, according to sources, though the Department of Defense declined to comment on the suspension.

The Navy’s drone fleet effort forms part of the $1 billion Replicator program, with BlackSea receiving at least $160 million to produce dozens of its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft each month. Acting Chief of Naval Operations Jim Kilby emphasized the strategic importance of these systems: “These systems will play a critical role in the future of naval warfare by extending fleet reach, improving situational awareness, and increasing combat effectiveness.”

But internal scrutiny is growing. The Navy’s drone acquisition unit, PEO USC, is under review following the firing of its leader, Rear Admiral Kevin Smith. Deputy Defense Secretary Steven Feinberg reportedly grilled Navy officials last month, questioning the cost-effectiveness of their autonomous systems. “I have a feeling that there are changes in this program’s future,” former Pentagon official Colin Carrol commented earlier.

By Vafa Guliyeva