How The U.S. Army’s ‘Navy’ Aims To Go More Autonomous With Its Vessels In The Pacific

The Army’s “Navy” is its small fleet of watercraft used to move equipment and supplies by sea. The force is obscure, but it adds important logistics capacity for operations across the Pacific. The Army is now exploring optionally crewed and fully uncrewed vessels to expand that capacity.

Its largest ships are eight General Frank S. Besson class Logistics Support Vessels, or LSVs. A composite watercraft company in Japan also had 10 Landing Craft Utility vessels and four small tugs in 2024. The unit is set to receive new Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) landing craft.

These vessels support theater distribution, including movement to remote or difficult locations. The Army plans two composite watercraft companies west of the International Date Line. It also wants up to 100 purpose-built uncrewed surface vessels, while testing autonomy kits on existing commercial ships.

The article gives a partial but useful picture of the Army’s maritime force. It has eight Logistics Support Vessels, its largest and most capable watercraft. One Japanese composite watercraft company had two LSVs, 10 Landing Craft Utility vessels, and four small tugs in 2024. The Army is also adding new landing craft.

Beyond its current fleet, the Army wants to acquire up to 100 purpose-built uncrewed surface vessels. The article does not provide a complete total for every Army boat, because it does not list all units or every vessel assignment. It does establish that the planned uncrewed fleet would be much larger than the eight-ship LSV force.

The scale matters because the Army wants more ways to distribute supplies across the Pacific. It is pursuing two composite watercraft companies west of the International Date Line and is testing autonomy on existing commercial vessels as an intermediate step.

The Army tested an autonomous-navigation capability on HOS Resolution during an August experiment led by U.S. Army Pacific. The test explored whether an existing commercial vessel could be adapted to support Army maritime distribution. It was a practical demonstration, not a test of a completely autonomous ship.

Sea Machines integrated its SM300 software package onto HOS Resolution in nine days. The 257-foot offshore support vessel normally supports oil and gas rigs. Its stern ramp and four jack-up legs also make it useful for loading and unloading cargo at remote beaches.

The experiment could become a stepping stone for the Army’s existing watercraft fleet. The service wants to add autonomy in stages, beginning with navigation. Later stages could involve propulsion and engine-room activities, eventually leading to a fully autonomous system. The Marine Corps has also experimented with HOS Resolution.

Army watercraft matter in the Pacific because the service needs more ways to distribute supplies across a huge maritime theater. Ships can carry cargo between ports and remote beaches, adding options beyond land routes. The article describes this as increased theater distribution and highlights the force’s importance for a future Pacific fight.

The HOS Resolution shows how that role could grow. Its stern ramp and four jack-up legs support cargo loading and unloading at remote beaches. The Army is also planning two composite watercraft companies west of the International Date Line, under the 45th Sustainment Brigade.

Uncrewed vessels could expand the number of maritime routes and platforms available for logistics. The Army wants up to 100 purpose-built USVs and is testing autonomous kits on existing ships. The article says autonomy could reduce crew workload and provide added safety margins, while preserving more distribution capacity.

Retrofitting could let the Army modernize ships it already owns. Instead of waiting for entirely new autonomous vessels, crews could receive systems that handle selected tasks. This could increase the fleet’s autonomous capacity while preserving existing hulls and maritime experience.

The planned progression starts with autonomous navigation. The next steps could automate propulsion and engine-room activities. On HOS Resolution, Sea Machines installed the SM300 navigation software in nine days, showing how quickly a commercial vessel could receive an autonomy kit for a demonstration.

The result would not immediately be a crewless fleet. Human crews could remain aboard while autonomy reduces their workload and adds safety margins. Over time, more automated functions could allow fewer people to perform routine tasks. The article presents full autonomy as an eventual goal, rather than a capability already fielded across the Army’s fleet.

The article focuses on Army-owned or Army-managed watercraft and does not describe a separate menu of maritime logistics options. It does mention partnering with industry and experimenting with a commercial vessel. That leaves commercial support as the clearest alternative identified indirectly by the text.

In broader military logistics practice, the Army could contract commercial cargo ships or charter offshore support vessels for selected missions. It could also coordinate with Navy or Marine Corps ships, allied and partner fleets, or other government maritime services. These approaches could supplement Army vessels without requiring the Army to own every platform.

Each option offers a different tradeoff. Contracted or partner ships may add capacity quickly, while Army-owned vessels provide more direct control. The article does not compare these choices or state which ones the Army plans to pursue. It does show that industry cooperation is already part of the autonomy effort.

An autonomous surface vessel is a boat or ship that can carry out some operations using onboard systems rather than continuous manual control. Those operations may include navigation and, at higher levels, propulsion or engine-room tasks. The article uses autonomy as a staged capability, not a single all-or-nothing feature.

Autonomous navigation means software helps the vessel plan or follow a route. People may still be aboard to supervise the ship and handle tasks the system does not control. That is the capability tested on HOS Resolution when Sea Machines installed SM300 for the August demonstration.

A fully uncrewed ship would go further. It would operate without a human crew aboard and would need autonomous control of navigation plus other essential functions. The Army’s stated path moves from navigation, to propulsion and engine-room activities, and eventually toward a fully autonomous system.