Reefers bring power and cranes to drone operations

Refrigerated cargo ships, or reefers, already distribute electrical power to designated cargo positions around the ship. A containerised weapon system either needs that infrastructure or must devote additional containers to generators. Reefer layouts may also include cranes that can recover an uncrewed surface or underwater vessel for charging and maintenance. The same deck and handling features could support minelaying or other modular naval tasks. These built-in services make a reefer a more credible auxiliary conversion than a generic container ship.