The waters of the Port of Everett have welcomed a groundbreaking addition to naval technology, the U.S. Navy’s first fully autonomous ship, capable of operating without a crew. Named the USX-1 Defiant, the vessel marks the result of roughly five years of development by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The concept, DARPA Program Manager Greg Avicola explained, was inspired by something far smaller and more familiar, a Roomba. While the comparison may sound unusual, Avicola noted that the goal was similar: “For the surface Navy, most of the people on the ship, most of the time, are there just to keep the ship running. So how do we build a Roomba, if you will, that can operate on the ocean for long periods without going in and fixing it every day? That is the goal of the program.”
One advantage of the design is its lower cost. Without the need to include crew accommodations, control rooms, or other large-scale facilities, the Defiant is smaller and more cost-efficient to produce. Avicola also pointed out that the vessel’s compact design allows it to be built at less advanced shipyards. Parts of the Defiant, including its hull, wiring, and piping, were constructed at Everett Ship Repair, a Tier III yard typically dedicated to fishing boats, tugboats, and yachts. “By designing the ship this way, we can touch all of those untouched industrial bases and use them for projects like this,” Avicola said, adding that the same type of yard could also handle repairs.
The vessel was officially christened on Monday, August 11, in a ceremony wishing it safe passage in the years ahead. Avicola described seeing the project through from start to finish as “really gratifying.”
The Defiant now faces one last challenge, a long, unmanned voyage across open seas to test its navigation and performance in varying conditions. Once it completes that mission, the Navy will evaluate how to integrate the prototype into its operations.
