The command problem with autonomous armed UUVs

Giving an armed uncrewed submarine broad autonomy trades a communications problem for a command and control problem. The vehicle would need enough computing power to interpret a complex underwater environment, which raises demands for electrical power, cooling, and quiet operation. Low-frequency links cannot support continuous supervision or a last-second human decision during an attack. Transmitting in the run-up to an engagement may also reveal the vehicle's position. The system could therefore make a lethal decision without a reliable remote kill switch. There is disagreement over the severity of the cooling problem: one panellist considers heat less troublesome because the submarine is surrounded by cold water, while others stress the cost of operating powerful computers quietly in a compact hull. Electrical demand remains a concern alongside the lack of dependable human supervision.