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29 August 2024

China Copies US “Manned-Unmanned” Teaming With Different Twist

Kris Osborn

What if a US Navy unmanned surface vessel’s vertical towed array sonar trailing beneath the surface detects and enemy submarine in position to attack US surface warships with torpedoes, and instantly shares critical time-sensitive data with both undersea and aerial drones in position to respond. A forward-positioned undersea drone might either function as an explosive to attack the enemy submarine or transmit targeting data to a US Navy submarine in position to attack from safer stand-off distances. Perhaps an aerial drone or helicopter can use laser scanning and EO/IR targeting to find and destroy the enemy submarine target when it comes close to the surface, by virtue of receiving location data from surface and undersea drones. Of greatest significance, a decision to attack and destroy a manned enemy submarine using the processed and networked intelligence can be made by human decision makers performing command and control from the surface, air or undersea. This kind of scenario, drawing upon both the speed of AI-enabled data processing and human decision-making faculties, is precisely the kind of Concept of Operation now being pursued by US weapons developers both within and across the military services. With US military progress advancing these technologies and concepts at lightning speed, many are likely to wonder what US adversaries such as Russia and China are doing in this area.


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