U.S. Navy establishes Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center

The U.S. Navy has officially established the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center (RASWDC) to accelerate the development, integration, and employment of robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) within the maritime domain. Headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, the Echelon 3 center will operate under U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

As a dedicated, Fleet-facing operational integration point, RASWDC aims to provide Sailors with advanced training, specialized doctrine, and a tactical edge in high-end combat. The center is designed to work alongside the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS). While the DRPM RAS manages acquisition, budgeting, and technical standards, RASWDC focuses on operational employment.

This structure creates a feedback loop between the acquisition enterprise and operational forces. By utilizing data from testing, experimentation, and training, RASWDC will return empirical performance data to developers and program managers to improve future capabilities across air, surface, and subsurface domains.