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The United States will use the so-called “ghost ships” – unmanned vessels, to confront Russia and China at sea, according to the Strategy Page portal. It is noted that the development of such vessels takes place within the framework of the Ghost Fleet Overlord project.
The United States has already tested two similar ships-Nomad and Ranger. The displacement of each of them is approximately 2 thousand tons. “Both vessels made an unmanned trip, covering a path of about 8000 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast,” the material says.
98% of the journey time, the ship was in autonomous mode. The crew was on duty on board-in case of unforeseen circumstances during the tests. The US intends to use these vessels in the Pacific Ocean, where China’s sea power is increasing. The ships will perform reconnaissance and anti-submarine tasks. They will also have weapons that allow them to strike at the enemy, and take-off and landing pads for aircraft.
It is emphasized that such technologies have previously been tested on tankers and container ships, and they have already taken root. “Most of the time, these ships sail autonomously, and a small crew is responsible only for maintenance and quick solution of problems with equipment,” the article notes.
Also, similar technologies are used by Israel, which has created an unmanned Seagull boat (“Seagull”), designed to combat mines and reconnaissance. The Americans are going to cooperate with the Israelis in this area to exchange experience.