Army Seeks Up to 100 Autonomous Vessels for Pacific Operations

The Army is addressing a shortage of watercraft in the Pacific by contracting commercial vessels and planning to test autonomous drone boats as early as next summer. The service's Pacific-based fleet fell to about 70 vessels in 2024 from 134 in 2018.

A Government Accountability Office report from two years ago showed the mission-capable rate of remaining vessels dropped from more than 70 percent in 2020 to less than 40 percent in 2024.

Army officials have activated the 5th Transportation Company in Yokohama, Japan, and received the first of several new Maneuver Support Vessels (Light). One such vessel recently delivered a high mobility artillery rocket system launcher to an austere beach.

The Army is also pulling stored watercraft from prepositioned stocks and has contracted two U.S.-flagged crewed offshore support vessels operated by Army mariners. Six additional Maneuver Support Vessels (Light) are expected in Japan.

Autonomous Vessel Plans Maj. Gen.

Gavin Gardner, commander of the Hawaii-based 8th Theater Sustainment Command, said the command requested industry deliver an autonomous vessel for testing next summer. Officials expect the vessels to operate across the Pacific region from bases in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Gen. Ronald Clark, head of U.S. Army Pacific, said commanders can always use more watercraft. Gardner added that autonomous vessels would handle routine port-to-port deliveries while manned vessels would conduct beach landings. A new composite watercraft company is scheduled to activate in October, with another planned for next year that may include both autonomous and manned vessels.