U.S. Navy's efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because the Pentagon remains wedded to big shipbuilding projects
The Navy has a budget of $172 million this year for small and medium-sized underwater sea drones, falling to $101.8 million in 2025, the spokesperson said. That's a tiny fraction of the $63 billion Navy procurement budget proposed by President Joe Biden's administration for 2025.
Military sea drones can range from missile-armed speed boats to minehunting miniature submarines and solar-powered sailboats equipped with high-definition spy cameras, underwater sensors and loudspeakers used to holler warnings at enemy ships.
There aren't enough Navy sailors trained to pilot drones or to analyze vast swathes of data sent back from the craft's cameras and sensors, the sources said.
At a cost ranging between $1 million and $3 million apiece, according to Navy and defense contractor sources, drones offer a relatively cheap and fast way to expand the Navy's fleet, especially as several large traditional shipbuilding projects - like a new class of frigate warships - are running years behind schedule.
