A port side view showing the damage sustained by the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Cole after suicide bombers slammed an explosives-laden boat into the side during a refueling operation in the port of Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 12, 2000. Recent developments in unmanned, autonomous systems mean they can now be used to support a wide range of missions, including security and perimeter defense at ports and other areas where large ships are vulnerable. (U.S. Navy)
On Oct. 12, 2000, two suicide bombers slammed a small, explosive-laden fiberglass boat into the side of the USS Cole — ripping a 40-by-60-foot gash in the port side of the destroyer as it refueled in Yemen’s Aden harbor, claiming the lives of 17 U.S. Navy sailors and injuring an additional 37.
Recent developments in the Black Sea and the South Pacific show that our warships still face similar threats. Fortunately, new technologies can help protect American maritime forces, in port and on the high seas.
The same asymmetric warfare techniques employed by groups like al-Qaida in the USS Cole bombing have been adopted and modified by nation-states in conflicts around the world. For example, Ukrainian forces have used sea drones to attack ships in Crimea and Russian ports, and China employs unmanned vehicles to patrol the waters of the South China Sea.
This evolution from suicide bombers on fishing boats to small, unmanned autonomous vehicles has added both complexity and risk to naval operations. Just as a Russian naval vessel can be disabled by a small unmanned vessel carrying as much as 450 kilograms of explosives, a U.S. naval asset is subject to the same vulnerability.
Any ship or submarine is most vulnerable when it is restricted in its ability to maneuver, like while in port or transiting to and from a mooring. In that state, a warship is unable to engage its primary weapons system. Its only real defenses are crew-served weapons — which have limited range. A small vessel racing to cover the distance between the outer range of those defenses and the skin of the ship can do so in mere seconds.
One significant difference between October 2000 and today, however, is that we now have the technology to better monitor, detect and mitigate these types of threats.
Recent developments in unmanned, autonomous systems mean they can now be used to support a wide range of missions, including security and perimeter defense at ports and other areas where large ships are vulnerable.
By integrating autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) and traditional maritime security assets, we can significantly improve the Navy and the nation’s ability to secure our most valuable assets anywhere, at any time in any domain.
Imagine a swarm of ASVs paired with advanced buoy systems that are linked with data from undersea, air and ground systems to give our commanders a deep understanding of the pattern of life in a given operational area. By understanding the pattern of life, they can then see the anomalies in the pattern — anomalies like a small boat cruising where it would not typically operate. The system can automatically assess the threat and send an asset out to address it before it can launch an attack.
With the right investments and procurement decisions, we can provide this protection to our warfighter.
The same technology can support a host of other important missions and opportunities. Unmanned assets can safely and effectively support all-domain counter threat operations, enhance a commander’s maritime domain awareness, conduct battle damage assessment and mine counter measures. It can help improve seabed and undersea warfare, monitor contested shipping lanes, protect sea and ground lines of communication, and enhance border security.
For this reason, it is a vital strategic imperative for us to out-compete China and Russia to develop and field the most capable unmanned autonomous vehicles. Our adversaries’ capabilities in this area are a reality today and will be game-changers tomorrow.
The threats to the U.S. fleet have evolved in complexity, consequence and likelihood since the USS Cole bombing over 20 years ago. Adversary advances in small, elusive seacraft. complicate our decision space and increase risk in a unique and significant way.
If we make smart investments in technology like autonomous uncrewed vehicles, we can give our nation’s warriors the tools they need to protect our assets, maintain safety in ports, and ensure freedom on the high seas.
Joe “Digger” DiGuardo, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, is the senior director of government strategy at Ocean Power Technologies.
