The U.S. Navy’s Push for Autonomous Maritime Dominance: From Surface Vessels to XL-AUVs
The U.S. Navy is aggressively accelerating the integration of autonomous systems to close critical operational gaps both on the surface and beneath the waves. By shifting toward a “buy, try, decide” procurement model and embracing open architecture, the Department of Defense is moving away from traditional, leisurely-moving acquisition cycles in favor of rapid prototyping and scalable deployment.
Closing the Subsea Gap: The CAMP Program and Anduril
One of the most significant recent developments in undersea warfare is the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform Project (CAMP). This U.S. Department of War effort focuses on rapidly prototyping and fielding extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles (XL-AUVs) to address a persistent operational gap in deep-sea capabilities.
To achieve this, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the U.S. Navy selected Anduril to participate in the program. Anduril was chosen following the completion of the longest XL-AUV demonstration to date, which validated the system’s endurance and performance in operationally relevant conditions.
The Dive-XL Platform
Central to this effort is Anduril’s Dive-XL platform. Designed to operate in GPS-denied environments, the vessel is capable of diving to depths of approximately 656 feet (200 meters) and can carry up to three payload modules for missions such as reconnaissance or dropping payloads to the sea floor. Key technical specifications include:
- Propulsion: An all-electric powertrain that allows the vessel to operate without breaking the surface.
- Range: Capability to travel in excess of 2,000 nautical miles.
- Logistics: Designed for easy transport and recovery using commercially available freight equipment.
Modernizing Surface Autonomy: ORCAstrate and UMAA
While the CAMP program tackles the depths, the Navy is simultaneously refining how it deploys uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). Through a program known as ORCAstrate, managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), the Navy is working to rapidly integrate and assess low-cost maritime systems.
A critical component of this strategy is the Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA), developed by the Navy’s Unmanned Maritime Systems program office (PMS 406). The UMAA provides a set of interface standards that modularize autonomy software into reusable components. This open architecture prevents the government from paying for the same capability development for every new platform, allowing for faster software insertion and rapid scaling across different vehicle types.
Key Takeaways: The Future of Naval Autonomy
- Shift in Procurement: The Navy is adopting a “buy, try, decide” approach to commercially available USVs to accelerate delivery to warfighters.
- Strategic Focus: Autonomous systems are viewed as essential supplements to crewed systems, particularly for “water-based fights” in the Pacific and the High North/Arctic.
- Proven Reliability: Anduril’s maritime systems have accumulated over 42,355km and 6,752 hours of mission time, demonstrating the maturity required for distributed maritime operations.
- Modular Growth: The apply of the UMAA ensures that software capabilities can be reused across various platforms, speeding up technology upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of the CAMP program?
The Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform Project (CAMP) aims to rapidly prototype and field extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles (XL-AUVs) to provide the U.S. Navy with the ability to deploy large payloads across extended underwater ranges.
How does the UMAA benefit the Navy?
The Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA) modularizes software into reusable chunks. This allows the Navy to insert new capabilities across different vehicles quickly without restarting development for each new platform.
Who is providing the Dive-XL vehicle?
Anduril is providing the Dive-XL platform, which has already seen successful execution in both the U.S. And Australia, including a program of record with the Royal Australian Navy for the Ghost Shark XL-AUV.