What happened
A recent incident in the conflict with Iran has demonstrated the effectiveness of the US military's new autonomous systems. When an Army Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, two American pilots were left stranded in the water. A 24-foot autonomous vessel, called the Corsair, built by Texas-based Saronic, was dispatched to rescue them. The Corsair, which can travel 1,000 nautical miles on its own, reached the downed pilots within two hours and carried them to safety.
This rescue was the first of its kind in US military history. The Corsair has also been used in offensive operations, including a strike on an Iranian naval base. The development and deployment of the Corsair have been rapid, with the system going from prototype to production in under a year and over 300 units being delivered.
The US military has also developed other autonomous systems, such as the Merops interceptors, which are used to protect soldiers from drone attacks. These interceptors are cheaper and faster to build than traditional systems and can be quickly deployed to forward units. In one instance, the Army acquired 13,000 Merops interceptors in just eight days.
The use of these autonomous systems marks a significant shift in the US military's approach to technology and procurement. The Pentagon has implemented reforms to speed up the acquisition process and cut through bureaucracy, allowing for the rapid development and deployment of new systems. This has enabled the military to field equipment that is cheaper, faster, and more effective, and has saved American lives in combat.
