FORWARD-LOOKING: The prediction that AI-controlled armies will one day battle each other without human intervention keeps looking less like fantasy. Shipbuilder Navantia has just unveiled a new design for an entirely uncrewed warship that could operate alongside traditional naval vessels, acting as a robotic escort for the UK's planned "hybrid navy" of crewed ships, autonomous systems, and drones.
Developed by Navantia's UK arm, the Large Autonomous Surface Vessel 75, or LASV75, is aptly named. It's a 75-meter-long surface vessel designed from the keel up to operate without a crew. That puts it at roughly half the length of a Type 45 destroyer and closer to a River-class patrol ship, with a displacement of about 1,000 tonnes.
Navantia says the LASV75 is intended to provide persistent capability thanks to its size, range, and speed, while "smart modularity" allows the same hull to be configured for different missions. Those could include sensing missions, operational roles, or a combination of the two.
Promotional images show the ship carrying containerized payloads, a common way for navies to add sensors, missiles, drone-control systems, or other mission equipment without redesigning an entire vessel.
