The U.S. Navy is expanding its use of robots that inspect warships for hidden damage, increasing a contract’s maximum value to $300 million from $71 million as it seeks to cut repair costs and get ships back to sea faster.
Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics announced the increase on Oct. 20, saying that its technology could help reduce lengthy inspections and unnecessary repairs that keep ships out of service.
The increase does not mean that the Navy has committed to spending $300 million. The five-year agreement allows government agencies to place orders up to that amount.
The contract ceiling was raised on Sept. 16 through a modification that obligated no additional funds, according to federal procurement records compiled by GovTribe. The database lists approximately $3.43 million obligated under an existing order.
The original agreement covered 18 Pacific Fleet ships, including destroyers, amphibious warships, and littoral combat ships. The initial order had a potential value of approximately $54 million.
Navy Admiral Cites Reduced Repair Work
Rear Adm. Dianna Wolfson, director of fleet maintenance for U.S. Fleet Forces Command, cited the USS Stout as an example of how robotic inspections can help reduce unnecessary repair work.
Speaking on the Virginia Ship Repair Association’s Ship Repair Radio podcast in August, Wolfson said the Navy used technology associated with Gecko Robotics to collect 128,000 measurements of the destroyer’s steel thickness.
The measurements produced a detailed picture of the metal’s condition, helping the Navy reduce the anticipated repair scope from more than 1,200 feet to slightly more than 300 feet.
Wolfson said the measurements created a color-coded map of the steel’s condition, helping maintenance crews pinpoint damaged areas and determine what needed repair before scheduled maintenance began.
Steve Bourner, Gecko’s head of public relations and communications, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 21 that the inspection saved weeks of maintenance time and thousands of labor hours.
Gecko’s robots crawl across ships’ decks and climb steel structures, using sensors to measure metal thickness and detect corrosion. Their measurements feed into artificial intelligence-enabled software that helps engineers identify damaged areas and plan repairs.
One system, Komodo, can inspect steel beneath thick, nonskid deck coatings without first stripping away the protective material. The resulting measurements help engineers assess deterioration that cannot be seen from the surface.
Bourner also described two unidentified Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that entered maintenance at about the same time with similar structural problems.
On one vessel, engineers collected about 3,000 measurements through conventional inspections before approving a $7.9 million flight-deck replacement, extending maintenance by several months, according to Bourner.
On the other, Gecko’s robots collected more than 8 million measurements. Navy engineers used the company’s software to identify a smaller repair scope estimated to cost $427,000, allowing the ship to complete maintenance on schedule, he said.
Bourner said the technology helps engineers determine the extent of damage and prioritize repairs, while Navy personnel retain responsibility for maintenance decisions.
Navy Pushes to Improve Fleet Readiness
During the same August podcast interview, Wolfson said approximately 14 surface ships were undergoing major maintenance, with more than half already behind schedule or expected to be delayed.
The Navy traditionally divided its surface fleet roughly into thirds—ships undergoing maintenance, preparing for deployment, and deployed—but increasing operational demands have put additional pressure on that arrangement, she said.
Wolfson advocated conducting maintenance earlier and more frequently, rather than waiting until ships enter shipyards for extensive repairs.
She identified unexpected work discovered during scheduled maintenance as a major cause of delays, particularly when replacement parts have not been ordered in advance.
“It’s really important that we get them out on time,” Wolfson said, referring to ships undergoing maintenance.
A January 2025 Government Accountability Office report separately identifies shortages of spare parts, insufficient qualified maintenance personnel, and repeatedly postponed repairs among the Navy’s long-standing problems.
The federal watchdog found that 46 recommendations from earlier surface ship maintenance reviews remained unimplemented as of September 2024, although the Navy had made progress on 12 of them.
Competition With China
The Navy’s maintenance efforts are part of a broader push to prepare its fleet for potential conflict with China.
Its 2024 Navigation Plan identifies readiness for possible war with China by 2027 as a major strategic objective. The plan also calls for 80 percent of the Navy’s ships, submarines, and aircraft to be ready for rapid deployment, alongside efforts to reduce maintenance delays and accelerate the adoption of new technologies.
The expanded Gecko contract provides room for additional orders beyond the original 18 Pacific Fleet ships.
Bourner told The Epoch Times that the specific vessels and locations would depend on Navy requirements. He added that Gecko has separately supported aircraft carriers and submarine programs, although those assignments are not part of the expanded agreement.
Wolfson said the Navy is working toward shorter, more frequent maintenance periods and better advance planning, with new technology helping crews determine the work required before ships enter repair yards.
“The main way we’re going to win the war on maintenance is shorter, more frequent availabilities,” she said during the podcast interview.
