OAHU, Hawaii — Against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor’s historic Ford Island, the U.S. Army executed a groundbreaking demonstration of autonomous ship-to-shore resupply capabilities during Project Convergence Capstone 5. At the center of the experiment was a vision of the future where logistics are smarter, faster and safer — powered by autonomous platforms operating seamlessly across thousands of miles.
In this milestone event, a resupply mission in a contested port scenario was simulated. unmanned surface vessels, or USV, controlled from over 5,000 miles away in Rhode Island, navigated toward the port carrying a supply-laden unmanned ground vehicle, UGV. Upon arrival, remote command and control was transferred to a local harbormaster, who oversaw the USV’s ramp deployment and disembarkation of the UGV. The ground vehicle, remotely operated from 3,000 miles away in Arizona, then successfully executed a resupply mission, delivering its payload to point of need at a Humvee nearby.
This demonstration, conducted by the Army Futures Command Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team, known as the CL CFT, showcased a significant leap in logistics modernization. As the Army prepares for multi-domain operations in large-scale combat scenarios, the ability to resupply across vast, contested regions — without exposing Soldiers to unnecessary danger — is a critical capability.
Why This Matters
Stationary supply lines are highly vulnerable in contested environments. The CL CFT’s work addresses this threat head-on by leveraging autonomous systems that sense, plan, and act independently within a broader network of interconnected platforms. This machine-based logistics model relies on continuous, predictive supply movement — a “push” strategy — ensuring materials are enroute before they’re urgently needed. This innovation improves both operational readiness and survivability.
By dispersing critical supplies across greater distances and maintaining continuous motion, this capability transforms the challenge of distance into a survivability advantage. It minimizes the risks faced by Soldier Mariners and enhances their safety by removing them from dangerous environments.
“The autonomous capabilities demonstrated at PC-C5 have the potential to expand the reach of sustainment. I’ve been impressed with the transfer of command and control from beyond line of sight, the ability to navigate in GPS denied environments, and how one Soldier can control many USVs” commented Becky Brashears, Concepts Developer, Sustainment CDID. “I’m seeing the beginnings of the future here.”
Soldier Touchpoints
Partnering with Soldiers from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command and 569th Dive Detachment, the Army gained valuable insight into future requirements and capabilities. Soldiers pre-planned multiple mission scenarios, which the USVs then executed autonomously. The systems operated in a “human-on-the-loop” configuration, using machine learning to sense and adapt in real time. Modular interfaces on the USVs supported integration of additional sensors, offering flexibility for a range of missions beyond logistics — from underwater hazard detection to hydrographic surveys and harbor security.
“We are assessing the intuitiveness of the command and control platform — what we have observed right away is the ability for the Warfighters on ground to quickly learn the system, then train their fellow Soldiers,” said Maj. Allan Laggui, lead planner, CL CFT.
“I understood the system's functions by the second day, including how to track it, communicate with it, and manually control it when necessary,” voiced Spc. Luke Ferguson, diver, assigned to 569th Dive Detachment, 130th Engineer Brigade.
Senior Leaders from Army Futures Command, Army Materiel Command, ASA (ALT), Department of the Army Staff, USARPAC, 18th Theater Medical Command and U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Center fielded Soldier insights throughout the demonstration.
Transforming the Future of Sustainment
Autonomous systems are poised to dramatically reshape sustainment operations. With advanced machine-level autonomy, USVs and unmanned aerial systems, UAS, will soon be able to operate and interact with each other independently — without the need for constant human oversight. A single Soldier could command dozens of autonomous platforms across air, land, and sea domains: assigning missions, then shifting focus as the systems execute.
The CL CFT is conceptualizing operations in which a UAS will be tasked with linking up with USVs to transfer supplies via standard shipping containers. When paired with predictive logistics powered by AI and real-time data, these innovations represent just the beginning of strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating experimentation and shaping future capabilities.
“We’re entering a new era where real-time data, AI, and unmanned systems are transforming sustainment from a reactive effort into a predictive, proactive capability. We will anticipate needs before they're voiced, prevent failures before they happen, and move thousands of pounds of cargo without risking a single Soldier. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about readiness, resilience, and rethinking what’s possible on the battlefield,” concluded Brigadier General Upton, Director, CL CFT.
Click here to view our concept of autonomous ship-to-shore resupply operations contextualized in all four of the CL CFT portfolios.
PC-C5 is an Army-hosted event that enables real-time integration of people, platforms, and technologies to support continuous transformation efforts aimed at aggressively shaping how future warfighters will operate in fast-paced, high-tech, multi-domain environments.
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