US plans to deploy more than 80 unmanned robotic warships to counter China’s naval dominance

Photo: Medium displacement unmanned surface vessel Sea Hunter sails in formation during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) July 28. 2022. Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aleksandr Freutel via DVIDS. Public Domain. Article by Chris Young. Interesting Engineering – May 15, 2026.

The new plan envisions a 450-vessel fleet by 2032, with more than 80 autonomous warships and underwater vessels.

The US Navy has incorporated unmanned surface and underwater vessels into its 30-year shipbuilding plan for the first time. The fiscal year 2027 update, released May 12, calls for a fleet of 450 vessels by 2031, consisting of 299 warships, 68 auxiliary ships, and 83 unmanned robotic vessels. […]

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