The fragile communications chain behind uncrewed warships

How can targeting and navigation data be passed to uncrewed combat vessels?

Laser links, satellites, and airborne relays can carry the data, but none should be treated as invulnerable or sufficient on its own.

Laser links and satellite communications are the options discussed for passing targeting and navigation data to uncrewed vessels. Satellite links depend on surviving infrastructure and cannot be assumed to remain available. A high-altitude uncrewed aircraft could provide a relay, but that adds another vulnerable platform and another control chain. Replacing a lost relay or keeping several airborne does not remove those dependencies. Using AI to let one person control several vehicles would also concentrate their control in a single point of failure. The example given is one controller responsible for eight vehicles. Communications traffic can help an opponent locate that controller, exposing several systems to the consequences of one strike.