US Navy's 1st fully autonomous warship can self-refuel, no crew
DARPA has unveiled the USX-1 Defiant, a fully autonomous warship that can sail for up to a year without anyone onboard.
Unveiled on August 11, 2025 in Washington state, this 180-foot vessel is part of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program and can hit speeds of 20 knots.
It's packed with smart tech—think deep-space probe level—that allows it to manage system failures via redundancy and backup systems and refuel itself autonomously.
The Defiant will join the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program
Thanks to its streamlined design, the Defiant can be built and refitted quickly, making it easier for the Navy to deploy more ships without putting sailors at risk.
Once sea trials are done, it'll join the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program to boost operations in tricky or dangerous waters where sending people just isn't safe.
The Defiant is set to change how future naval missions work—no crew required.