U.S. Navy Awards $71M Contract for AI Ship Inspection Robots

The U.S. Navy has awarded a five-year contract worth up to $71 million to Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics to deploy artificial intelligence-powered wall-climbing robots for inspecting warships, aiming to reduce maintenance delays and improve fleet readiness amid growing competition from China's expanding naval forces. The initial phase, valued at up to $54 million, will begin immediately on 18 vessels in the Pacific Fleet, including destroyers, amphibious warships and littoral combat ships.

The technology addresses longstanding maintenance challenges that leave about 40 percent of the Navy's roughly 300 ships unavailable at any given time, according to industry estimates. Ships often remain in dry dock for months due to backlogs, unexpected structural issues and a shortage of skilled workers such as welders and technicians. These delays cost the Navy between $13 billion and $20 billion annually and limit operational availability to around 60 percent of the fleet. The contract, facilitated through the General Services Administration, allows other military branches to access the robotic systems as well.

Gecko's robots, equipped with sensors, climb hulls, flight decks and...