The U.S. Navy is having a lot of trouble right now testing autonomous naval drones. These drones are part of a big project to make many unmanned ships. A Reuters report states there have been several emergency situations during testing involving fleets of competing companies in the defense industry, such as Saronic and BlackSea Technologies.
What happened
One of the drones lost control and came to a stop in open water during one of the most recent testing events. Not long after that, another drone collided with the first drone and caused damage to it. Different companies owned the two drones, competing for Pentagon contracts to develop autonomous naval systems.
A few weeks earlier, there had been an even more catastrophic event. During testing, a drone from BlackSea Technologies, which was being towed by a military support vessel, suddenly sped up and flipped over the tugboat, tossing the captain into the ocean. Although the captain escaped unharmed, the incident underscored the perilous nature of utilizing contemporary autonomous technologies in military operations.
What caused the accidents
Initial findings indicate that a combination of software malfunctions and human errors caused both instances. The main issue was that communication between the autonomous drones’ onboard systems and their software was broken, making it harder to control how the devices moved and reacted.
Experts say that autonomous systems aren’t reliable enough now and need more work on the software code, testing in real-world settings, and better ways to regulate when things go wrong.
Problems for the Pentagon
These problems make it very challenging for the Pentagon to carry out its intentions to create a fleet of advanced, autonomous unmanned ships to help with naval operations. The U.S. government sees autonomous ships as an important way to stop China’s military capability from increasing, especially if they were to invade through the Taiwan Strait.
Military authorities in the U.S. say that the development of drone swarms, both naval and aerial, is still a top priority, even though it comes with dangers. Their importance is because these systems may greatly improve fleet capabilities, lower risks to troops, and make aggression less likely.
Key Companies and Drone Models in U.S. Navy Autonomous Naval Drone Trials
The U.S. Navy is now testing autonomous naval drones made by the competing businesses Saronic and BlackSea Technologies. These two companies are important players in the American defense technology sector. Each company produces unique drones designed to fulfill distinct roles within the Navy’s unmanned vessel swarm concept. Both companies’ drones have been involved in incidents during trials, showing how fierce the competition is and how important these systems are. The Pentagon’s modernization plans are still focused on improving marine autonomy capabilities through ships that can do complex maneuvers and work together in swarms, even though precise drone model names have not been made public. This continuous testing aims to evaluate and enhance the drones’ performance, reliability, and compatibility with other naval activities.
Lessons from the War in Ukraine
This context places special emphasis on Ukraine’s experience in naval combat operations. Following the widespread use of naval drones during the war in Eastern Europe, the United States began studying the tactics and technologies that proved effective under real combat conditions.
U.S. military officials officially confirmed at the end of June 2025 that they are actively analyzing and incorporating elements of Ukrainian naval warfare approaches into their strategies. These developments are currently being implemented in military operations and exercises in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, which are essential for the prevention of Russian aggression in those regions.
Prospects for the Indo-Pacific Region
The Indo-Pacific region, particularly around Japan, Taiwan, and the northern Philippines, can utilize the lessons learned and strategies developed. China claims parts of marine territories that belong to U.S. partners and allies; hence, these waterways are spots of current territorial disputes.
The U.S. military believes that using autonomous systems in this part of the world will make operations more flexible and make it easier to respond to possible threats. For example, during this year’s multinational BALTOPS exercises in the Baltic Sea, surface drones actively simulated attacks on the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the Sixth Fleet, and the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius. These exercises showed what autonomous systems can do in combat.
Conclusions
The issues that came up during the trials when trying to control and manage naval drones were quite challenging, but they did not stop the development of autonomous military technologies. In fact, these events lead to a more in-depth look at problems, more safety rules, and better drone software.
Military analysts believe that smart autonomous systems will significantly alter the global balance of power in the future. If it works, the U.S. Navy will be able to respond faster, scale up operations, and reduce the number of people who die.
Therefore, despite the potential for unexpected problems, the United States must continue to actively utilize autonomous naval drones as a defensive strategy, particularly in response to rising geopolitical tensions in critical regions of the world.