In an era where speed, cost, and resilience matter as much as firepower, the US Navy is asking a radical question: Can 20 robot boats replace a billion-dollar destroyer? Rear Admiral Michael Mattis and his Task Force 66 (TF66) think the answer might be yes , and the results of their experiments could reshape naval warfare.

Mattis calls it the “ deconstructed DDG .” Instead of one exquisitely capable destroyer shouldering multiple missions, a flotilla of heterogeneous uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) would divide the tasks—scouting, logistics, surveillance, even limited strike support—at a fraction of the cost.

“We think that with 20 USVs of different types, we could deconstruct a mission that a DDG could do,” Mattis told a recent audience. “And we think we could do it at essential

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