India-U.S. should join forces to build underwater drones, says former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations

The future of naval warfare will increasingly be shaped by autonomous warships and underwater drones, with unmanned systems eventually operating alongside conventional destroyers, frigates and submarines, according to former US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead.

Speaking exclusively to WION's Defence Pulse, Roughead said the US Navy's deployment of the unmanned vessel Seahawk alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group marked the beginning of a significant transformation.

Robotic warships enter carrier operations

“I wish it had happened sooner,” Roughead said, welcoming the U.S. Navy's move towards robotic vessels.

The U.S. Navy plans to acquire 30 medium unmanned surface vessels, with Roughead anticipating a fleet of up to 63 large and medium unmanned vessels by 2031.

He expects these platforms to eventually operate independently around strategic maritime chokepoints, providing surveillance and security.

Should robots be allowed to fire weapons?

Asked whether robotic warships should be allowed to engage targets without human authorisation, Roughead said, “For the near term and medium-term, we will see the robotic vessels under human control.”

While autonomous vessels could navigate and reposition independently, he said decisions to fire weapons would remain with human operators, except in cases of immediate self-defence.

India–U.S. partnership in underwater warfare

Roughead backed closer cooperation between India and the United States in developing autonomous maritime technologies.

“I am hopeful that the U.S. and India will be able to cooperate to bring our technology and our manufacturing capabilities together,” he said.

He described this as “a tremendous opportunity” for both countries to advance technologically, commercially and militarily.

Underwater drones could transform naval warfare

Roughead believes the biggest breakthroughs in autonomous warfare will happen beneath the surface. The U.S. and British navies recently demonstrated the launch of an inert heavyweight torpedo from an unmanned underwater vehicle. Roughead described underwater drones as “an extension of the submarine”.

Looking ahead, Roughead expects crewed and uncrewed vessels to operate together, with AI increasingly assisting detection, identification and decision-making.