The U.S. Army is integrating autonomous capabilities into its amphibious landing ships and plans to acquire up to 100 purpose-built uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). The initiative, outlined by Army Maj. Gen. Frederick Crist, commander of 8th Theater Sustainment Command (8th TSC), was presented at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual symposium in Washington, D.C. 8th TSC, headquartered at Fort Shafter in Hawaii, oversees logistics operations across the Pacific and manages the service’s fleet of watercraft, commonly referred to as the Army’s Navy. These vessels support logistics missions in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in areas where Navy resources are stretched. In August, U.S. Army Pacific conducted an experiment in which a commercial offshore support vessel, the HOS Resolution, was retrofitted with autonomous navigation software from Sea Machines. The 257-foot ship, typically used to service oil and gas platforms, was modified with the SM300 system in nine days and tested for autonomous operations, including cargo handling via stern ramp and jack-up legs. The Army has also explored using similar vessels for humanitarian missions and disaster response. As part of a broader restructuring, the 10th Support Group in Okinawa was reflagged into the 45th Sustainment Brigade, which will command two new composite watercraft companies to be established in Yokohama, Japan. These units will operate west of the International Date Line and are intended to enhance distribution capabilities in the region. The Army currently operates eight Logistics Support Vessels (LSVs), the largest of which are designed for open-ocean transit and capable of carrying vehicles and cargo. Two of these ships, acquired in the mid-2000s, are optimized for long-range operations. In addition, the service plans to field new Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) landing craft and expand its fleet of smaller unmanned systems. Earlier in the year, then-8th TSC commander Maj. Gen. Gavin Gardner stated the goal of rapidly acquiring 100 drone boats, some capable of carrying eight to 10 standardized shipping containers. These systems could be prepositioned in partner nations including Japan, South Korea, and Australia to support supply chain resilience. The Army also sees potential in retrofitting existing manned vessels with autonomy kits to gradually transition toward fully uncrewed operations, which could reduce crew workloads and improve safety margins. While the Navy previously tested similar autonomy systems on the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Apalachicola, it did not pursue operational use of those capabilities. The Army’s approach emphasizes incremental integration of autonomous functions, including navigation, propulsion, and engine management, with the long-term aim of enabling flexible, scalable logistics support across the Pacific theater.