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TL;DR: With massive investments in drone technologies, the future of air warfare looks increasingly robotic. Naval warfare is heading in a similar direction, exemplified by DARPA’s new prototype vessel, the USX-1 Defiant. Last month, this 180-foot, 240-metric-ton ship made its debut in preparation for extensive testing when defense contractor Serco launched it from a Washington shipyard. It’s unique in that you won’t find any sailors aboard – the Defiant was designed to be a “no manning required” ship.
From the very start, human habitation was completely off the table, meaning there are no crew quarters and no galleys aboard. That has given this vessel unusual advantages: since it omits anything meant for human use or safety, it is highly hydrodynamic, stealthy, and reliable.
The unmanned surface vessel (USV) was built as part of the US Navy’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) project, launched by DARPA in 2020. DARPA says the aim is to challenge traditional naval architecture by designing a seaframe from the ground up with no human accommodations. Serco was selected to construct the demonstrator in 2022 ahead of Leidos Gibbs and Cox.
Ryan Maatta, the Serco Marine Engineer Manager overseeing the project, told Naval News that they had “really worked” to change the philosophy and operating principles so that ships like the Defiant would be much less expensive while performing the same missions as manned platforms. He added that his team worked to achieve 90% operational reliability at sea for a full year straight.
Historically, the downside has been that unmanned vehicles rarely achieve cost savings over their crewed counterparts. But DARPA is changing that equation. Defiant could even refuel at sea automatically using technology that Serco successfully tested last September with the Mariner and Ranger USVs. Such self-sustaining abilities could allow it to remain deployed for extended durations.
For offense, the Defiant is expected to be equipped with an assortment of weapons and launch systems. Concept designs show one BAE Adaptable Deck Launcher along with a storage container on the ship.
Over the next few months, the USX-1 Defiant will undergo dockside and open-ocean testing before embarking on a multi-month at-sea demonstration in spring 2025.
Impressive as it is, the Defiant could just be an appetizer for what’s to come. Serco also envisions a future “Large USV” – a destroyer escort variant featuring four launchers and 16 missile cells. This is comparable to the capabilities of World War II-era destroyer escorts. The company claims it already has the capabilities to mass-produce and maintain vessels like the Defiant and any future LUSV concepts efficiently.
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