Hull Cleaning Robotics: Army Beats Navy – the Hegseth Way!
Sticking to legacy tactics won't beat China — adopt Secretary Hegseth's and the Army initiatives or surrender the edge.In a recent address, Admiral Christopher Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscored the urgent need for a robotic hull-cleaning system to enable anytime maintenance, reduce drag, boost speed, and minimize fuel consumption for naval vessels. Hearing this, I immediately recognized an opportunity for the U.S. Army to step up and drive maritime innovation forward—at wartime speed. We transformed that vision into reality in record time, successfully demonstrating the technology on an Army Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) in Pearl Harbor last month.Through bold leadership, the Army is pioneering risk-taking, slashing bureaucracy, and enhancing efficiency via the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI). Key components of ATI, including the Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT) and its FUZE program, as well as the U.S. Army Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) offices, are enabling rapid integration of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions—putting tools like robotic hull cleaners into Soldiers' hands within months.Moving at Wartime SpeedExecuting this autonomous hull-cleaning demonstration in just over two months, even amid a government shutdown, was no small feat, and it nearly unraveled at the last moment. Our original foreign supplier backed out abruptly, leaving us scrambling after we had secured all necessary safety protocols and logistics. That's when American grit and determination turned the tide. An urgent Friday afternoon outreach to Greensea IQ proved decisive: The company immediately mobilized, funding its own travel, shipping its EverClean robots from the East Coast to Hawaii, and arriving ready to tackle a fouled hull—all in under 4 days.This swift response aligns perfectly with the sweeping acquisition reforms unveiled by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a recent speech. Secretary Hegseth emphasized that defense industry partners must invest their own capital and act with urgency to accelerate capability delivery. Greensea IQ exemplified this ethos, showcasing how private-sector agility can bolster military readiness.Image courtesy Colonel Rachael HoaglandLearning Through DemonstrationThe demonstration brought together a diverse community of stakeholders — Army boat crews, Army and Navy maintenance teams, Army dive units, Navy Salvage Divers, engineers, and industry experts—who collectively affirmed the value of robotic hull cleaners in addressing fouling caused by marine growth such as barnacles, algae, and other organisms. By eliminating drag and buildup, these systems enhance vessel performance and extend operational life. The primary advantages include:Enhanced Fuel Efficiency: A clean hull reduces hydrodynamic drag, potentially reducing fuel use by 10-30% compared to a moderately fouled surface, yielding substantial long-term savings.Increased Speed and Performance: Fouling removal can increase speed by up to 10% by reducing water resistance, enabling faster, more efficient navigation.Improved Maneuverability and Handling: Lower drag improves control and responsiveness, enhancing safety and effectiveness in diverse conditions.Reduced Engine Strain and Wear: Decreased resistance eases engine workload, prolonging lifespan and cutting maintenance demands.Prevention of Hull Damage: Routine cleaning safeguards against corrosion, blistering, and structural degradation from embedded organisms.Cost Savings and Longevity: Beyond fuel efficiencies, it extends anti-fouling coating life, lowers overall upkeep costs, and sustains high readiness. These benefits translate directly to heightened operational readiness by minimizing port downtime for maintenance. A single operator can use a robot to clean an Army LSV hull in roughly six hours, compared to the week required for a dive team. This efficiency frees up the Army Dive Team and keeps LSVs mission-ready, redirecting resources toward critical warfighting priorities.Fast-Tracking Commercial Tech: Army's Innovation PipelinesThe Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT) bridges commercial breakthroughs—like robotic hull cleaners—with military applications, streamlining entry for non-traditional companies into the defense ecosystem. PIT focuses on pinpointing urgent Soldier needs, conducting swift testing, and scaling proven innovations Army-wide. For robotic hull cleaners, PIT could execute by scouting available COTS options, evaluating them against Army priorities (e.g., operational readiness), and accelerating prototyping via streamlined processes to reduce bottlenecks and enable rapid scaling outside traditional program structures.Housed within PIT, the Army FUZE program stands out as a prime pathway for expediting such technologies into Soldiers' hands. Modeled after venture capital, FUZE accelerates the development and fielding of emerging innovations, with a strong emphasis on embracing COTS solutions that are commercially proven and available immediately. With several commercial robotic hull cleaners already on the market, the execution process for a technology like robotic hull cleaners might involve: pitching in xTech-style competitions for evaluation; rapid contracting, deploying hull cleaning robots to the field for Soldier feedback; and scaling successful solutions across mission kill chains, such as logistics sustainment.The Agile Sustainment and Ammunition PAE plays a pivotal role in operationalizing robotic hull cleaners. As one of the six PAEs established under the Army's acquisition reform—alongside Fires, Maneuver Ground, Maneuver Air, Command and Control and Counter Command and Control, and Layered Protection and CBRND—the Agile Sustainment and Ammunition PAE owns the sustainment, modernization, and life-cycle management of the Army watercraft fleet. The PAE can swiftly revise preventive maintenance plans, update technical manuals, and amend authorization lists to incorporate this tech. For LSVs, this involves integrating monthly robotic cleanings into standard checklists, liberating dive teams for higher-stakes missions, and ensuring the LSV stays ready. The PAEs, alongside the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Commands' (T2COM) commitment to readiness and speed, facilitate rapid doctrine updates and training adaptations, empowering units to procure these cleaners with their own funds without the bureaucratic delays of traditional acquisition.Wartime FootingThis hull-cleaning demonstration embodies the Army's pivot to a wartime posture under Secretary Hegseth's guidance—emphasizing velocity, ingenuity, and collaborations to surpass adversaries. By harnessing ATI elements like PIT and its FUZE program, as well as the Agile Sustainment and Ammunition PAE, we're not merely outpacing the adversary in maritime efficiency; we're fortifying our forces to stay agile, prepared, and superior across all domains. As global threats intensify, these efforts slash expenses, elevate capabilities, and empower warfighters to focus on victory. The Army's embrace of innovative COTS technology isn't just a triumph—it's a roadmap for enduring success. Let's continue challenging boundaries and serving our nation with excellence.Army 1 – Navy 0. Go Army beat Navy!Image courtesy Colonel Rachael Hoagland