The US Navy has completed a three-day maritime exercise involving artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems in the Arabian Gulf.
The service, a member of the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) consortium, used a guided-missile destroyer to demonstrate its cutting-edge systems.
According to Royal Saudi Navy Captain and IMSC official Alamri Assem, the AI and unmanned systems showcased their ability to increase the consortium’s maritime awareness for increased security.
“During the exercise … the systems were able to help locate and identify objects in nearby waters and relay visual depictions to watchstanders,” the US Central Command stated in a press release.
It further revealed that two Saildrone unmanned surface vessels from the US 5th Fleet transmitted information on contacts of interest, allowing the destroyer to perform further monitoring.
Unmanned Systems Development
The US Navy’s participation in the exercise is a way to evaluate the efficiency of its unmanned systems.
It continues to produce more sophisticated systems, including the Saildrone Explorer launched in the Gulf of Aqaba in 2021.
It also awarded a contract to Leidos to design and construct a medium-size unmanned undersea vehicle to support intelligence operations.
Additionally, the navy announced in May last year that it is establishing a new division tasked with overseeing operations of all its medium and large unmanned vessels, such as the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk.