Zeeshan Mumtaz
ISLAMABAD: One has heard about the development of artificial intelligence (AI)’s uses in the human domain along with civilian technological uses in vehicles, cellphones, robots, and even military facilities. After using unmanned AI-capable fighter jets and drones, the United State has introduced naval vessels and a submarine.
This initiative has faced several obstacles, like wind patterns, water depths, ocean currents, underwater operations, and marine engineering dynamics. These obstacles are always variable and may have unforeseen effects on naval ships and submarines.
So, in naval aspects, the AI component must first deal with the changing surroundings in oceans and underwater conditions and then work on maintaining the maritime vessel’s path, avoiding collisions with other ships, avoiding torpedoes, and, most importantly, executing military operations in the waters and underwaters.
Sea Hawk and Sea Hunter – Unmanned AI Naval Vessel
The United States has finally launched ‘Sea Hunter’ and ‘Sea Hawk’ antisubmarine destroyers and Extra-Large Unmanned Submarine named ‘ORCA’ (XLUUV).
Sea Hunter is reportedly 135 tonnes in weight, 132 feet long, has a maximum speed of 27 knots, and a range of 10,000 nautical miles in open waters.
Sea Hunter, like other unmanned military hardware, does not require a crew and pilots but operates under artificial intelligence, which operates the unmanned antisubmarine majorly through sensors, radars, and cameras connected with the command room.
Ultimately the Sea Hawk, also known as a sister of ‘Sea Hunter’, is upgraded and covers the loopholes identified in the operations of Sea Hunter.
ORCA Unmanned AI Submarine of US
The first Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle has been revealed by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) of the US Navy in May 2022. NAVSEA claims that the ORCA’s public debut was a significant turning point in its efforts to develop trustworthy underwater capabilities further.
ORCA can travel up to 6,500 nautical miles at its top speed of eight knots (14.8 kilometers/9.2 miles per hour)
Captain Pete Small of the US Navy said during a briefing in 2019 that the drone submarine program is concentrating on system characteristics, payload integration, and mine warfare capabilities.
Captain Pete added that it has a modular structure, with the main vehicle serving as the primary source of guidance and control, navigation, and enhanced situational awareness.
Developers of United State Unmanned Naval Vessels
Both these advanced unmanned naval vessels are made by US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Leidos, an American defense, aviation, information technology, and biomedical research engineering company based in Reston, Virginia, has started production of these prominent United State Naval Unmanned Vessels with the supervision and support of DARPA.
Leidos received a $35.5 million contract from the United State Navy’s Office of Naval Research in 2017 to construct a 145-ton trimaran as a follow-up to the original Leidos Sea Hunter, which DARPA created as a high-endurance platform to track submarines.
Leidos claims that these AI-capable Submarines destroyers are capable of autonomous navigation. At the same time, it spends weeks at sea, carrying out missions including tracking enemy submarines, disabling mines, spotting torpedoes, and serving as a communication relay before it must return to port.
According to the statement of the vice president for maritime solutions at Leidos, Dan Brintzinghoffer said that “We didn’t just install an autonomous navigation system on an existing ship.” Every mechanical and electrical system on the Seahawk is specially configured to function for weeks or even months without needing attention from the naval crew.
In February 2019, Boeing received the ORCA project as part of a $274 million contract that calls for the creation, testing, and delivery of five such drone submarines.
The ORCA, which is based on Boeing’s 51-foot Echo Voyager (which is not reportedly commissioned in US Navy) is intended to carry out mine-sweeping, antisubmarine, anti-surface, and electronic warfare missions.
Economic Friendly US Unmanned Anti-Submarine Vessels
The daily operating cost of Sea Hunter is $20,000, which is 35 times cheaper than the $700,000 daily operational cost of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. A single unmanned trimaran vessel costs $20 million to construct as compared to a destroyer’s $1.6 billion cost.
According to media reports, United State Navy does not consider the ‘Sea Hunter’ and ‘Sea Hawk’ as a replacement for serving manned naval ships. United State Navy views these AI Advanced vessels as capable of offering support during Naval combat operations. According to media reports, United State unmanned submarine ORCA is not commissioned in UN Navy, so far. In this way, it is unpredictable to analyze the economic cost of ORCA.
Specifications of US Unmanned AI Naval Vessels are Classified
United State Navy reportedly commissioned the ‘Sea Hunter’ in its Fleet in 2018 and the ‘Sea Hawk’ in 2021, which shows that these unmanned ships appear to be very strong in contemporary Naval operations.
These ships have many classified aspects attached to the perks of AI technology. The classified specifications of these United State Naval Anti Submariners also cover their precise use in naval warfare.
In January 2019, ‘Sea Hunter’ became the first ship to autonomously navigate from San Diego coastal city to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and back without having a single crew member on board.
ORCA has a modular design, with the primary vehicle providing situational awareness, guidance, and control. Still, the US has kept its operational tactics and capabilities of Naval operations as classified.
New Division of United State Navy for Unmanned Vessels Established
The United State Navy has created a new division with the responsibility of managing the operations of all of its large and medium unmanned ships, such as the Sea Hunter and the Sea Hawk.
The newly created division, known as the Unmanned Surface Vessel Division (USVDIV) One, will experiment with and support the navy’s unmanned operations goals.
Additionally, the ‘USVDIV One would instruct sailors on how to run and maintain the nation’s Fleet of unmanned ships for upcoming missions.
United State Navy’s Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley said, “We must continue to innovate the surface force to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.” In conjunction with manned platforms that are becoming more and more capable, “This Unmanned United State Naval Division ‘USVDIV One’ will accelerate the delivery of credible and reliable unmanned systems into the Fleet.”
According to Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, the development of the ‘USVDIV One’ would serve as a “catalyst” for innovation as the US seeks to use unmanned surface capabilities in the Pacific Fleet.
He continued that increasing the nation’s unmanned capabilities is essential because it will improve American warfighters’ decision-making capacity and lethality.
United State Navy Building Up Unmanned Capability
A recent initiative to improve United State unmanned capabilities includes the creation of a new division for unmanned vessels. As discussed earlier, the US Navy unveiled the Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle recently under the context of development in Unmanned AI Naval technological development.
The Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface ship is now being operated in the Arabian Gulf by the United State Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).
The 5th Fleet’s unmanned systems will be expanded by the deployment, it was revealed that the United State is using artificial intelligence-powered unmanned vessels to improve its security operations in the Middle East.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told Arab News that the incorporation of new unmanned systems and artificial intelligence “puts more eyes out on the water that we simply have not had in the past.”
