Challenges Persist for U.S. Military in UUV Deployment at SOF Week 2026
The U.S. military encounters significant hurdles in expanding the use of UUVs, despite advancements in acquisition strategies. The need for enhanced trust and reliability in these systems is critical for their effective deployment.

At SOF Week 2026, challenges in the U.S. military's broader adoption of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) were highlighted. The Department of Defense (DoD) is working to refine its acquisition strategies to speed up the procurement of UUVs, acknowledging past inefficiencies.
Current UUVs in operation include the Orca by Boeing and HII, designed for various missions like reconnaissance and payload delivery, and the GDMS Knifefish, which specializes in mine-hunting. The Razorback and REMUS family, including the Lionfish, are also deployed for different intelligence and warfare functions. For effective manned/unmanned operations, the Pentagon must establish clearer mission parameters and foster trust in these technologies.




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