A US company making long-range drone warships for a China fight just put its tech to the test in the water

"Long-range drone ships could transform Pacific warfare, expanding a navy's reach while keeping sailors out of harm's way. An American company building these kinds of ships with the Navy's needs in mind says it has successfully tested its technology in the water, bringing the innovative vessel a major step closer to becoming reality. Blue Water Autonomy is the first to test larger, long-range interchangeable ship-scale systems in an iterative way on the water, its leadership told Business Insider."

"The company aims to build a full-scale autonomous warship that could one day fight in a war with a major adversary, like China, in which naval drones may play a key role. These kinds of uncrewed vessels could expand fleet size and coverage, a necessity in a Pacific fight stretching across vast swaths of water. They could also push into hotly contested waterways without putting human sailors at risk."

"From the Black Sea to the Red Sea, drone attacks are forcing militaries to rethink not only defense, but also how they can better modernize their fleets and integrate this cutting-edge technology into their traditional force structure. The US Navy plans to build a battle force of 381 crewed warships and 134 uncrewed surface and undersea vessels. It already fields some drones - smaller surveillance platforms and combat systems - that are built by companies across the US defense industry."

The US Navy faces shortages of suitable ships for a potential high-end conflict with China, prompting investment in long-range autonomous vessels. Long-range uncrewed ships could expand fleet coverage across the Pacific while keeping sailors out of contested areas. Blue Water Autonomy tested medium-sized, interchangeable ship-scale systems on the water and plans to build a full-size autonomous warship for high-end missions. The Navy plans a battle force of 381 crewed warships and 134 uncrewed surface and undersea vessels, and already fields smaller surveillance and combat drones built by US defense firms.

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