US Navy Deploys Wall-Climbing Robots to Inspect Warships in $71M AI Upgrade

The US Navy is turning to a different tool to help solve one of its most persistent challenges: wall-climbing robots for inspecting and maintaining warships.

In a $71 million modernization effort, the Navy plans to deploy AI-powered robotic inspectors across parts of its fleet to improve fleet readiness amid intensifying maritime competition with China. The robots will be deployed to speed up repairs, reduce maintenance backlogs, and ensure more ships are ready to deploy, as naval competition with China continues to intensify.

Under a five-year contract, Pittsburgh-based company Gecko Robotics will initially focus on 18 ships assigned to the US Pacific Fleet. While the early phase of the deal is valued at up to $54 million, the broader contract could eventually allow other military branches to adopt the same technology.

One of the Navy’s biggest ongoing problems is that too many of its ships simply aren’t ready to sail. The effort comes as the Navy struggles with maintenance bottlenecks that limit operational availability. Estimates suggest that only about 60% of the fleet is operational at any given time, with the rest undergoing repairs or awaiting maintenance.

Meanwhile, China’s naval fleet has grown to roughly 370-390 warships and submarines, compared to about 300 US vessels, and it benefits from significantly higher shipbuilding capacity.

China’s shipbuilding capacity also enables it to produce vessels at a much faster pace. But rather than attempting to match China ship-for-ship, the Navy is increasingly focusing on ensuring a greater percentage of its existing fleet is mission-ready.

Designed for dangerous and data-intensive work

Gecko Robotics’ machines are designed to cling to steel surfaces via magnetic adhesion, allowing them to crawl across ship hulls, flight decks, and other steel surfaces.

Equipped with sensors and AI-driven analytics platforms, the robots can scan for corrosion, structural fatigue, and welding defects while collecting millions of data points that can be analyzed to detect problems earlier than traditional inspection methods.

Historically, such inspections have been done manually, requiring human crew members to work in hazardous conditions, often suspended by ropes or supported by scaffolding to reach hard-to-access areas. Even then, inspections can miss small problems that later turn into major repairs.

The robots, by contrast, can scan large areas more quickly and consistently, while generating detailed records that allow maintenance planners to anticipate problems before they escalate into costly repairs.

The Navy believes this maintenance approach could significantly reduce the amount of time ships spend in dry dock. One of the main reasons ships spend so long in repair is that unexpected structural problems are often discovered only after maintenance has already begun. Finding those issues earlier could help shipyards plan their work more effectively and avoid lengthy delays.

According to company leadership cited in reports about the program, early deployments of the robots have already demonstrated the potential to shorten maintenance planning and execution timelines by identifying problems earlier in the process.

Addressing workforce shortages with automation

Another factor driving the Navy’s interest in robotics is the shortage of skilled labor facing the US shipbuilding industry. US shipyards have struggled to recruit and retain enough qualified workers, such as welders, electricians, and technicians. Some reports suggest many new workers leave within their first year, complicating workforce expansion efforts.

Robots could help shipyards maintain productivity despite these shortages by taking over repetitive and hazardous inspection tasks. That would allow human workers to focus on more complex repairs that require technical decision-making.

The same technology is also being used earlier in the shipbuilding process to detect welding or structural issues during construction. By scanning structures earlier in the building process, robots could catch defects before they require more expensive fixes later.

A technological response to competition

China’s ability to rapidly expand its fleet is often attributed to its state-backed shipbuilding industry, which can allocate funding, labor, and industrial capacity to naval production with fewer bureaucratic constraints. One reason is that the country’s shipyards frequently produce both commercial and military vessels, enabling steady production and economies of scale.

The US system, by contrast, relies on fewer specialized private shipbuilders and involves more complex contracting and regulatory processes, which can slow expansion.

As a result, improving maintenance efficiency may offer a realistic near-term path for the Navy to strengthen its operational posture. The Navy has reportedly set a goal of reaching 80% fleet readiness by 2027. If technologies like robotic inspection systems can help reach that target, they could become a key part of how the Navy maintains its global presence.

The US may not be able to match China’s shipbuilding speed anytime soon. But improving the speed at which ships return to service could help narrow the gap in practical terms.

In the end, the race for naval advantage may not just come down to who builds the most ships. It may also depend on who can keep the most ships sailing. And increasingly, that may depend on how well humans and machines can work together behind the scenes to keep fleets running.

For more on how the US military is expanding its AI playbook, check out this look at Anthropic and other emerging alternatives to OpenAI and xAI.

The post US Navy Deploys Wall-Climbing Robots to Inspect Warships in $71M AI Upgrade appeared first on eWEEK.