The unmanned surface vessel (USV) Ranger transits past the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ship HMAS Adelaide (L01) in Jervis Bay during Autonomous Warrior 23, Nov. 2, 2023. USVDIV-1’s mission is to test, develop, and operate in support of integrating medium and large USVs into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages.
The U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Division 1 wrapped up its participation in the Autonomous Warrior 2023 exercise on Nov. 2, 2023. The event took place at HMAS Creswell and the waters of Jervis Bay, showcasing the potential of unmanned surface vessels like Mariner, Ranger, Seahawk, and Sea Hunter.
Autonomous Warrior is an annual exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy that brings together military, government, and industry partners from allied and partner nations to explore the use of autonomous and unmanned systems. During the event, the U.S. division collaborated with organizers to test technologies addressing maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
“It’s only fitting that one of the U.S. Navy’s most state-of-the-art commands is participating with the Royal Australian Navy in one of their most innovative and cutting-edge exercises,” said Chief Operations Specialist Joshua Merrill, aboard the USV Ranger.
This exercise marked the first time the division took part in Autonomous Warrior, which included more than 300 personnel from the Australian Defense Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and the Office of Naval Research.
“We have been collaborating with the Royal Australian Navy from the start,” said Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley, commanding officer of the division. “We are conducting operations alongside manned vessels to support our ally in developing this groundbreaking capability.”
Daley noted that one focus of their efforts is to improve awareness across larger naval areas by using autonomous systems, calling it a “game-changer” in the maritime field.
“The more capability we can bring to unmanned platforms, the better our maritime awareness will be,” Daley said. “This not only allows us to operate in challenging environments but also keeps sailors safe and focused on strategic missions.”
Royal Australian Navy Commodore Darron Kavanagh, who led the Autonomous Warrior exercise, commented on the involvement of the U.S. division.
“Having the division here has been a game-changer,” Kavanagh said. “Their interaction with Australian autonomous systems has helped us progress our partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States, particularly in how we operate together with both crewed and autonomous assets.”
The division is currently deployed in the 7th Fleet area as part of Integrated Battle Problem 23.2, an ongoing U.S. Pacific Fleet exercise to test unmanned platforms. This exercise also aims to build relationships with international partners for better integration of unmanned vessels in future operations.
“I am proud to represent the U.S. Navy in this exercise,” Daley said. “We’ve had positive experiences working with the Royal Australian Navy and look forward to strengthening our partnership to ensure a secure Indo-Pacific.”
The mission of Unmanned Surface Vessel Division 1 is to test, evaluate, and operate unmanned surface vessels to integrate them into fleet operations and provide recommendations to Navy leadership on developing these systems.