A mostly uncrewed fleet would need communications that remain usable under jamming, beyond encrypted links that work in peacetime. Ukraine's fiber-optic control solutions are difficult to reproduce across moving ocean forces. Narrow laser links could support local ship-to-ship control, but long-distance operations would still depend on vulnerable satellite and navigation infrastructure. Problems already seen with GPS and other satellite constellations make command over thousands of kilometers a serious design constraint. Autonomy therefore depends on the network that supplies orders, position, targeting data, and human oversight.
Notable Point · 1:03:53-1:06:06
Uncrewed fleets depend on contested communications
The drone-fleet answer turns from weapons distribution to the fragility of control links and navigation.