Two prototype US drone ships (USVs), writes the WSJ, have arrived in Japan for their first deployment in the Western Pacific. They will be tested in surveillance activities and in simulated offensive exercises. The deployment of new weapons systems in the region is due to Chinese military activity which has surpassed the US Navy in number of ships in recent years.
The commander of the Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One, Jeremiah Daley stated that autonomously operating unmanned surface ships could replace larger ships, such as destroyers in fighter groups: “One destroyer and two USVs could replace three destroyers. New technology is a force multiplier”.
Admiral Daley is referring to the unmanned surface vessel Cleaning, a 190-foot vessel originally designed for the oil industry that resembles a pickup truck.
It was docked at the port of Yokosuka, near Tokyo, home of the US Seventh Fleet. The Ranger does not currently carry missiles, but can carry and launch them in modules loaded on its rear section.
The Pentagon said this month it plans to invest over the next two years in AI technology, drones and autonomous systems, largely driven by China's moves to develop autonomous systems across its military. The Ranger and five other unmanned American ships are part of a project known as Ghost Fleet Overlord, born in 2018 and aimed at integrating autonomous operations into the Navy.
Supporters of the program say such ships could operate relatively cheaply within range of enemy fire, allowing manned ships to remain further away.
Throughout the US military, efforts are being made to develop new strategies for possible conflicts in the Western Pacific, such as a possible war in the Taiwan Island area.
The Navy is still experimenting with unmanned surface vehicles although their tactical effectiveness has been amply demonstrated in Ukraine, where drone attack boats have proven effective in countering the more equipped and powerful Russian Navy.
In a project known as Task Force 59, writes the WSJ, the United States has deployed small surveillance drone boats in the Middle East to monitor the Iranian navy in coordination with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Israel. The six American ships of the division Unmanned Surface Vessel they are larger and equipped with more sophisticated sensors than the simple drones used in the Middle East. They often still have a crew. During transit to Japan, the Ranger had 16 sailors on board who monitored the vessel and collected data.
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