• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

US Navy drone fleet faces setbacks amid accidents, leadership shake-ups and growing doubts

Global Times

By Feng Fan and Liu Xuanzun Published: Aug 21, 2025 11:18 AM

The US Navy's ambitious effort to build a fleet of autonomous drone vessels to counter China has been plagued by repeated accidents and management turmoil, Reuters reported Wednesday. Expert questioned the project's "China threat" rhetoric origin, further casting doubt on its viability.

During a US Navy test off California in July, which was designed to showcase the Pentagon's top autonomous drone boats, one vessel stalled due to a software glitch. Another vessel then slammed into its starboard side, vaulted over the deck and crashed back into the water — an incident captured in videos obtained by the agency, according to Reuters.

The collision involved vessels from defense tech rivals Saronic and BlackSea Technologies and was among several setbacks cited by a dozen people familiar with the program.

US military leaders, citing lessons from the Ukraine conflict, have repeatedly stressed the need for autonomous swarms of drones to deter a potential Chinese move across the Taiwan Straits, Reuters noted. Yet recent mishaps highlight how far the US remains from realizing those ambitions.

The problems extend beyond the latest test. DefenseScoop reported in July that another maritime drone trial was cut short after an unmanned vessel overturned a support boat being towed out of a harbor, prompting emergency assistance from the Coast Guard and local patrol units to rescue a tugboat captain.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times Thursday that Washington's impatience and fixation on "countering China" have led it to set unrealistic targets for autonomous drone vessel technology, ignoring essential research and development cycles.

"While US technology is advanced, some breakthroughs cannot be achieved without sufficient time and investment. Budget constraints and inflated expectations will only further delay progress," Song said.

Bryan Clark, an autonomous warfare expert at the Hudson Institute, told Reuters the US Navy will need to adapt its "tactics as it better understands what the systems can do and what they can't do," while noting that the recent test failures highlight the challenges in deploying these nascent technologies.

Beyond technical setbacks, US Navy's key drone boat procurement unit Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants has been placed under review, according to Reuters. Four people familiar with the matter said the unit could be restructured or shut down after a series of failuress.

The shake-up comes two months after the US Navy said it had dismissed the unit's leader, Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership following the Naval Inspector General substantiated a complaint against him, Reuters reported.

Reuters reported that the US government has already poured billions into the effort. To accelerate progress, the Pentagon in 2023 launched the $1 billion Replicator program, under which branches such as the US Navy and the US Defense Innovation Unit plan to acquire thousands of aerial and maritime drones, along with the software to control them. The first systems from this program are expected to be announced in August.

The US Navy has committed at least $160 million to BlackSea, which is producing dozens of its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft boats each month, according to procurement records cited by Reuters.

Song stressed that Washington's hyping of "China threat" not only justifies ballooning military budgets but also benefits defense contractors. "

This militarization and arms race are counterproductive. It drains resources and traps the US in a self-created cycle that ultimately harms its own interests, he said.

China has repeatedly rejected Washington's "China threat" narrative. Responding to US claims that Chinese companies were building a global network of ports for military purposes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian previously noted: "These accusations are only meant to create anxiety. We hope the US will stop overstretching the concept of security, stop hyping the 'China threat,' and stop smearing and disrupting China's economic and trade cooperation with other countries."