Science and Technology Board propels US Navy towards a hybrid fleet
- July 09, 2025
The navy-after-next will be a ‘hybrid fleet.’ This concept was first articulated by then-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Michael Gilday and embraced by his successor, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. The basics of this initiative are described in the CNO Force Design 2045, which calls for 350 crewed ships and 150 large uncrewed maritime vessels.
This innovative concept was born out of necessity. The concept of the hybrid fleet evolved due to the US Navy’s ongoing challenge of building enough crewed ships to adequately meet its global commitments. The CNO Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy states: “We cannot manifest a bigger traditional Navy in a few short years.” Indeed, the price of a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has risen to US$2.2B.
The rapid growth of the technologies that make uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) increasingly capable and affordable has provided the Navy with an opportunity to get more hulls in the water. To support these goals regarding large numbers of uncrewed maritime platforms, the US Navy established an uncrewed task force to provide stewardship for Navy-wide efforts to accelerate the introduction of uncrewed systems into existing Navy missions.
