On a grey morning off the coast of Virginia, a US Navy helicopter crew found themselves ditching into choppy waters. Within minutes, a 40-foot uncrewed vessel sliced through the waves, pulled two pilots from a raft, and motored them back to shore. The MARTAC T38 Devil Ray.
No human driver. No fuss. Just cold, mechanical efficiency.
The rescue was a triumph of technology but it raises a deeper question: what happens to the human soul of the navy? British defence firms are now scrambling to catch up. BAE Systems has announced a new partnership to develop autonomous lifeboats and the Royal Navy is testing its own 'Ghost Fleet' of uncrewed surface vessels.
The race is on. But as we build these silent rescuers, we must ask what we lose when the hand that pulls us from the water is made of metal and code.
