Chairman Rick Scott Leads Seapower Armed Services Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Senator Rick Scott chaired a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Seapower Subcommittee hearing on the status of the U.S. Navy's acquisition and implementation of unmanned surface vessels. During the hearing, Chairman Scott questioned witnesses about the urgent need for the Navy to make unmanned vessels a central part of 21^st century American naval power.

"There is no question that our Navy must move decisively to integrate unmanned systems into the fight. The time is now and the Navy is late to the game already," Chairman Scott said. "The history of warfare teaches us that whenever we don't lead, we eventually suffer."

You can watch his questions for the witnesses, Rear Admiral Derek A. Trinque and Rebecca J. Gassler, by clicking here or on the image below.

Watch Chairman Scott's opening remarks at the Seapower Subcommittee hearing HEREor read below:

"As we all know, our country and our Navy is not immune from the rapid changes in threats and technologies reshaping the battlespace.

There is no question that our Navy must move decisively to integrate unmanned systems into the fight. The time is now and the Navy is late to the game already.

America has enemies: the governments of Iran, Communist China, Russia, Cuba and North Korea. They chose to be our enemies.

We've learned from the war in Ukraine that unmanned, autonomous systems need real integration into our military and our Navy now. The history of warfare teaches us that whenever we don't lead, we eventually suffer.

The United States must lead in the unmanned, autonomous battle space during conflict.

There needs to be a real sense of urgency within the Navy. My main concern is there are Admirals opposing innovation and the ideas necessary to make real changes and bring new, real, lethal capabilities to the Navy.

We need answers now. Our country, and the Sailors and Marines who defend it, deserve the best. Our enemies are moving fast.

Unmanned surface vessels can be force multipliers that extend our reach, reduce risk to American Sailors and Marines, and give us the edge we need against any threat posed by our enemies.

From one-way attack missions to logistics, air defense, reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, and more, unmanned surface vessels offer a wide array of capabilities to augment our manned fleet. Yet, for too long, our Navy's plans have been non-committal at best. While other navies have received the message and moved fast, our Navy's lagging approach risks leaving us behind.

Take the Replicator initiative, which forced the Navy into a one-time buy of small, unmanned surface vessels. Unbelievably, last year the Navy planned to zero out the entire effort - just cut the entire thing.

Similarly, the Navy wanted to keep studying medium unmanned surface vessels until considering the start of a real program in 2029. My staff and I have met with numerous companies that build these unmanned systems, and they all tell us the same thing: the Navy has no clear strategy and they don't know what the Navy needs or wants them to build.

That's a real problem, and the Navy owes our country a real solution.

Luckily, we in Congress took it upon ourselves to drag the Navy forward. The One Big Beautiful Bill made the largest single investment in unmanned maritime systems in history: a $5 billion investment, including $3.6 billion specifically for unmanned surface vessels.

That is real money, and it sent a clear signal that America will start growing the fleet.

To his credit, when Secretary Phelan took the helm, he immediately recognized the Navy's problem. He saw that unmanned efforts were scattered across too many program offices with no coherence, no urgency, and no path to scale, and no overall strategy.

He acted like a businessman fixing a broken organization. He stood up the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic Autonomous Systems to pull everything together under one roof with the authorities needed to move quickly.

Today we have two key witnesses before us. First, Ms. Rebecca Gassler, who was tapped to be the first Portfolio Acquisition Executive.

Ms. Gassler, I want to better understand how the Navy plans to buy these vessels going forward, especially with the shift toward an unmanned marketplace. That move has raised serious questions in industry about whether the Navy is changing direction yet again.

Industry needs a clear, sustained demand signal they can build against, not another pivot that leaves shipyards and suppliers hanging.

I also welcome Rear Admiral Derek Trinque, Director of Surface Warfare.

Admiral Trinque, you own the requirements for what these vessels must do for the fleet and the responsibility to line up the funding to make it happen.

I understand the President's budget justification for fiscal year 2027 drops today, so this is perfect timing.

How much money is planned for small, unmanned vessels? For medium? How much for payloads that make these platforms lethal? How much for enabling technologies, for rigorous testing, and critically, for force generation?

We would like to understand the Navy's plan for training, logistics, and maintenance.

I know these issues are at the top of your mind, and I look forward to your direct answers.

I thank both witnesses for being here."

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