The U.S. Pacific Fleet (US Pacific Fleet) combined unmanned systems and manned warships in an unprecedented week-long exercise in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast. (U.S. Navy). (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. Navy held its first West Coast exercise integrating unmanned systems with manned ships
The U.S. Navy is building a future fleet of air, surface and underwater drones, and the Third Fleet hosted an unprecedented unmanned systems fleet exercise on the West Coast this week, but it also raised questions from some members of Congress.
In the exercise, called Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem 21 (UIB Problem 21), rapidly growing unmanned systems will be integrated with manned ships for the first time under different conditions, according to Navy Times 22. The exercise, called Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem 21, will combine rapidly growing unmanned systems with manned ships for the first time under different conditions.
While the Navy has provided a wealth of press releases, interviews with generals and multimedia material, it has been mostly silent on what the drones will actually do throughout the week. Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, who is leading the exercise, revealed Tuesday that one of the exercises involves using the drones to act as the eyes and ears of a warship, then firing missiles at targets from a distance.
However, he declined to talk specifically about those other scenarios, saying only that the details were classified. And the exercises will involve intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as partnering manned and unmanned ships to carry out daily missions and battle plans.
In fact, just about a month ago, the U.S. Navy announced the “Unmanned Campaign Plan. Although the plan has been long awaited by the relevant units, and the plan should also set out the Navy’s future plans for unmanned systems, it has been criticized for its lack of depth or detail.
U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-N.Y., said in March at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Maritime Forces that she was disappointed with the lack of substance and detail in the plan. For nearly a decade, the Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) supercarrier and the Zumwalt class destroyers have been seen as disastrous failures that have cost too much money and not worked.
Lulia, a retired surface warfare officer, pointed out nonchalantly that after the recent procurement failures of several classes of surface ships, the Naval Forces Subcommittee doubted that the Navy could harness the new technology of unmanned systems and make it a usable asset that could help leverage lethality. However, Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby (James Kilby) said that is only the structure, the specific plan and timetable are classified.
In any case, this week’s exercise will feature the MQ-8 Fire Scout and MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones, as well as such aircraft as the Sea Sea Hunter” (Sea Hunter) and “Seahawk” (Seahawk) and other unmanned surface ships to participate. And part of the exercise’s goal, Aiken said, is to assess whether unmanned platforms can be further integrated with the fleet and put to a more practical test.
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