NAVAL DRONES

In the current edition of Proceedings , Peter von Bleichert contends that a new form of dedicated drone mothership, combined with unmanned surface, underwater, and air systems, can dominate in future littoral combat.  A few observations: The author argues that "The littorals are too dangerous for the big expensive submarines and ships of the Navy and their crews, and they are far too dangerous for smaller manned vessels that lack comprehensive defensive and offensive systems."  There is truth the threat to surface ships in the littorals is greater than ever, with layer upon layer of anti-access threats available to state and non-state adversaries, including mines, fast attack craft swarms, and ground-launched anti-ship cruise missiles.  On the other hand, there are some missions that simply can't be performed by robotic systems, and likely will never will be.  Chief among these is the requirement to board and inspect vessels during maritime interdiction. What would t