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US military starts testing ‘Sea Hunter’ unmanned ship

Tuesday, 03 May 2016 7:55 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 03 May 2016 7:59 AM ]

US military's 'Sea Hunter' unmanned ship developed by DARPA (file photo)

The US military has started testing the world's largest unmanned surface vessel, reportedly capable of traveling thousands of miles without any crew members on board.

Dubbed “Sea Hunter”, the self-driving 40-meter (132-foot) ship was showed off by military officials in San Diego on Monday before it set off to a nearby naval base for tests.

The ship was developed by the Pentagon's research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and will undergo testing by the organization and the US Navy over the next two years off California's coast.

The tests will focus on the ship’s ability to react on its own to avoid collisions with other vessels.

"For our military operations we want to make sure we have unmanned vessels like this to supplement the human mission so that we're not putting people unduly in harm's way," said DARPA spokesman Jared B. Adams.

Once proved reliable, the ship will be sent on months-long journeys and travel up to 10,000 nautical miles.

The diesel-powered ship was initially designed to detect stealthy diesel-electric submarines, but military developers say they believe it has the capability to go beyond that, including detecting mines and carrying arms, although plans for the latter have not been announced yet.

However, the robotic vessel’s heavy reliance on software for navigation and sensitive military missions has sparked hacking concerns.

US Military officials have been exploring ways to make the Sea Hunter cyber-secure but have yet to offer any real protections.

DARPA has spent $120 million to develop the ship but says it is now ready to enter mass production for about $20 million per unit.

The US Navy has experimented with a wide array of unmanned systems over the years— from drone helicopters to small, remotely controlled boats launched from ships.

The Pentagon has also set aside a hefty $600 million budget to be invested in unmanned undersea vehicles.

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