Drone Command

“Apologies, Madame President,” Ikeda said. “But perhaps I have seen enough. Your autonomous capabilities are impressive, but those Katanas are still vessels of war. My agency is only interested in peaceful commercial technologies.”

“If the sea-lanes are closed by Chinese warships, you won’t have any commerce!” Hara said. “For that, we need our own powerful fleets.”

“There are other ways to defend the sea-lanes than building new missile cruisers and aircraft carriers,” Myers insisted. “Drone systems like the Katana can be deployed for convoy escorts, antisubmarine warfare, mine sweeping, surveillance—”

“But these are still military operations in which people will be killed,” Ikeda said. “Preparation for war inevitably leads to war. A man with a hammer always looks for a nail.”

Myers nodded sympathetically. “I understand your perspective, Dr. Ikeda, but imagine deploying Katanas as escorts against pirates for vessels delivering emergency food supplies to places like Somalia. Or patrolling drone ships could be used for search-and-rescue operations, or drug and smuggling interdiction. And drone vehicles like these could deploy nonlethal sonic technologies like LRAD sound cannons or other crowd-control devices. Painful, yes, but not fatal.”

Pearce was grateful Myers was here today. They made a good team.

Pearce turned to Hara. “Drone vessels would be cheaper, faster, and more efficient in a wide variety of deployments, combat or commercial. My company develops systems for both, but my expertise is in the security area. Unmanned systems will protect the lives of sailors who would otherwise be put in harm’s way. Autonomous and unmanned systems are not only an alternative to conventional weapons systems, they are also the future of combat.”

“And commerce.” Myers smiled at Ikeda. “I admire NEDO’s emphasis on commercial applications. I’m the CEO of my own software-engineering firm. I appreciate the importance of business. We seldom fight wars, but we conduct business every day, don’t we?”

Ikeda nodded. “Exactly. And war is not necessary! But economic growth is vital to the nation.”

“I agree. In the long run, robotics and other automated systems will prove to be even more disruptive in business affairs than they will in the military sphere. Military drones, however, will help prevent the wars that will allow commerce to prosper, and if needed, fight them, too.”

The admiral’s face darkened. “The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force is legally not allowed to have a navy. Our ships are only used for defense. But that is precisely our problem. We must absorb the blows of the red giant until he exhausts himself. That is not a strategy for surviving a war, let alone winning one. But thanks to the leadership of patriots like Vice Minister Tanaka, that might soon change. A powerful fleet is our best defense against Chinese aggression. I don’t see how your little toy boats can provide enough offensive power to counter the Chinese navy.”

“These ‘toy boats,’ as you call them, are just one example of what ASV technology can achieve. But for now, let’s see what the Katanas might be able to do. Please look at the radar screen. I’m extending the range of the radar unit.”

A new blip appeared on the screen a quarter mile away. “That’s a solar-powered surface drone. It’s currently used to measure water temperature. But for now, let’s pretend it’s a Chinese patrol boat.”

Pearce approached the radar screen. He tapped the blip, then pressed a button on the console.

The twin 560-horsepower engines on each of the Katanas erupted into full power, throwing rooster tails of water behind them.

“Please watch the video feed.”

Myers, Tanaka, and Hara hunched over the screen. Ikeda stepped back from the group, sulking. Nobody noticed the catamaran’s deck had stopped vibrating. The Carolina Blonde was slowing down.

Within moments, the four Katanas swarmed the small orange research vessel, flat like the solar panels that powered it, floating on the ocean surface. Four Gatling guns opened up and shredded the flimsy device in less than a second. The gunfire echoed over the water as the boats turned to resume their picket stations.

“Not much of an attack or a target, I grant you, but you can begin to see the power of fully autonomous swarming. The computers can make faster tactical decisions than a human can. And in a gunfight, the fastest draw always wins.”

“And if the Chinese deployed drone swarms against us?” Tanaka asked.

“There are counterswarming algorithms, too. Also, AAVs and ASVs can coordinate their swarm and counterswarm attacks from the air and water.”

“One of the greatest threats the Chinese possess are their diesel submarines. How can drones combat them? They are becoming increasingly difficult to find and track,” Tanaka asked.