Robotic Autonomous Systems: Navy Needs to Address Leadership and Organizational Challenges to Meet Urgent Needs

Summary

What GAO Found Recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East prove that robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) are disrupting naval warfare and challenging traditional naval superiority. To provide more adaptable, dispersed operations, the Navy intends to shift away from its World War II-era operating model, which was based on closely knit battle groups comprised of several traditional platforms, such as planes, ships and submarines. According to Navy strategic documents, a hybrid fleet is necessary to enable this shift and would incorporate smaller, more numerous, and distributed capabilities—including RAS capabilities—as a complement to larger, more individually powerful, traditional capabilities. In this context, RAS capabilities could allow naval forces to take on greater operational risk while maintaining a tactical and strategic advantage. The Navy plans to spend billions of dollars on researching and developing enabling technologies for RAS. In March 2025, GAO found that the Navy had not taken steps to address key challenges to developing RAS capabilities quickly despite critical needs for RAS implementation. For example: Inconsistent leadership and priorities impeded RAS investments. Inconsistent senior leadership and shifting priorities impeded the Navy’s progress establishing an organizational structure for RAS and making efficient investments to achieve goals. Domain- and platform-centric approaches impeded progress of RAS. Without consistent leadership to advocate for RAS investments, the Navy’s organizational structure and processes for requirements, resourcing, and acquisition generally remained siloed by domain and focused on traditional platform approaches. Under this approach, RAS compete for resources with traditional ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers—many of which are priority major weapons acquisition programs—leaving little funding available to develop and field RAS. Navy’s Existing Domain- and Platform-centric Approach and Challenges to Developing RAS Capabilities. Iterative approaches could accelerate RAS development. Commercial companies are driving a rapid pace of RAS development that greatly outpaces development timelines of traditional Navy platforms. In 2021, Navy leadership published the Unmanned Campaign Framework to address organizational barriers and adapt its development processes to expedite development of RAS capabilities. The Framework identified a desired shift to development processes to expedite development that could help the Navy promote iterative development approaches in line with leading practices. However, as of March 2025, the Navy had yet to implement these changes. Portfolio management and formalized stakeholder roles could improve coordination. To better position itself to get RAS capabilities to the warfighter with speed, GAO found the Navy needs to optimize investments in RAS and enabling technologies by managing RAS capabilities as a portfolio. Navy officials also told us a lack of formalized RAS stakeholder responsibilities continued to create inefficiencies and confusion. Without rapid action from the Navy’s most senior leaders to address these challenges, the Navy risks not meeting the fleet’s urgent needs. Why GAO Did This Study A House Report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 includes a provision for GAO to review the Navy’s efforts to develop technologies for autonomous surface vessels and autonomous undersea vessels. In response to this provision, GAO provided information in a classified report. This Snapshot summarizes GAO’s findings and recommendations from the March 2025 classified report and omits classified information related to the Navy’s strategic plans, RAS, and enabling technologies.