Navy Developing Unmanned Systems Network Key to New Campaign Plan - USNI News

As the Navy develops its first operational unmanned systems, the service is advocating for new standards that will help develop a reliable network to manage and control the systems and their data.

Speaking at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) annual unmanned systems conference on Tuesday, the Navy’s top uniformed acquisition officer described the service’s new unmanned campaign plan as an effort to create “centralized management and leadership” of the technologies that will support all the service’s unmanned platforms.

Vice Adm. Jim Kilby, the deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities (OPNAV N9), said he is working with Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, N2/N6, on the initiative. According to Kilby, while the Navy’s unmanned platforms are evolving, the service realized it needed to take a harder look at the technologies that will help the unmanned systems operate.