An optionally crewed warship still needs about eighteen people

What is the minimum crew for a two-week patrol by a future optionally crewed warship?

About fifteen to eighteen people, once watchkeeping, command, engineering, medicine, damage control, and offboard systems are included.

Although automation might allow one person to supervise a ship briefly, at least three people should remain awake to divide propulsion, sensors and weapons, and offboard systems. Several watch sections are then required so the ship can operate continuously without exhausting its crew. A captain, cook, medically trained sailor, engineers, computer specialists, and enough spare capacity for illness or injury raise the practical total. That produces an estimate of roughly fifteen to eighteen people for a short independent patrol, with a flotilla leader able to absorb some specialist functions when several vessels operate together.