US Navy Forms Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron Three

The Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet has set up the Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron tasked with overseeing a fleet of small, unmanned surface vessels known as global autonomous reconnaissance craft.

Manufactured by Maritime Applied Physics Corp., the 16-foot-long GARCs are designed for research, testing and operations and can be integrated into various Navy forces including surface, expeditionary and joint maritime units, the U.S. Navy said.

USVRON Three, led by Capt. Derek Rader, will report to Surface Development Group One and play a crucial role in developing tactics, techniques and procedures for operating and maintaining the sUSVs.

The squadron will also include robotics warfare specialists, a new rating introduced by the chief of naval operations in February. They will oversee robotic autonomous system operations, focusing on computer vision, mission autonomy, navigation, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, the fleet commander, highlighted the importance of unmanned systems in enhancing the Navy’s warfighting capabilities and emphasized the strategic role of USVRON Three in employing and scaling the systems within the fleet.