“Southern Spear will operationalize a heterogeneous mix of robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) to support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking while learning lessons for other theaters,” said Cmdr. Foster Edwards, 4th Fleet’s hybrid fleet director.
With ever-larger numbers of drones, unmanned submersibles and robot boats, said 4th Fleet Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, “what we didn’t realize was the volume of data we were going to get at headquarters.”
The Sixth Domain is not defined by geography. It’s a new kind of conflict in which autonomy and networked systems allow thousand-dollar consumer electronics to destroy multi-million-dollar conventional weapons systems.
The recruitment of a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is a major win for Saildrone, which has been building its profile in US Navy circles since 2020.