VIRGINIA BEACH — Rear Adm. Melvin Smith was appointed to command the new center, which operates as an Echelon 3 warfighting development center under U.S. Fleet Forces Command. This structure indicates a formalized role in the Navy’s command structure with a focus on operational employment rather than research or acquisition. The RASWDC is headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, a site historically used for naval aviation and expeditionary operations.

Caudle outlined the strategic necessity for the center in his message. "To maintain our decisive maritime advantage, we must rapidly integrate robotic and autonomous systems into how we operate, train, and deploy," he said. He added that the Navy has spent years experimenting with these systems across multiple warfare communities, commands, laboratories, and acquisition organizations.

"The establishment of RASWDC ensures our Sailors are equipped with the tactical edge, advanced training, and specialized doctrine required to win the high-end fight," Caudle said. The center has three core missions: developing warfighting concepts, training sailors, and fielding and testing new technology. Smith is leading a phased near-, mid-, and long-term implementation plan to execute these missions.

Smith described the center's purpose during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Our mandate is straightforward: educate our warfighters, equip the Fleet with tools that actually survive the environment, and develop the combined tactics to employ them decisively," Smith said. He stated that the center's purpose is to consolidate the Navy's autonomous efforts across air, surface, and undersea domains.

"The goal is not to replace the hard-earned expertise already resident across our Navy. It is to connect it," Smith said. He noted that the center will draw on expertise from across the Navy and the country.

Smith previously served as the commander of Submarine Group Two, where he oversaw the U.S. Navy’s Undersea Hybrid Fleet Executive Steering Group. That group focuses on the development and delivery of undersea robotic autonomous systems capabilities to the fleet.

Caudle stated that the RASWDC is the critical bridge between capability development and operational employment. "By forging a direct feedback loop, we are accelerating the delivery of unmanned capabilities from the foundry directly to the Fleet, ensuring our forces are postured to meet any challenge," he said. The establishment of the RASWDC coincides with the August establishment of the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems. This portfolio manager provides single accountability for acquisition, requirements implementation, budgeting, technical standards, and fielding.

The RASWDC will coordinate with the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager to create a feedback loop between capability development and operational testing. This coordination aims to ensure rapid integration of unmanned systems into the Fleet. Caudle released a "Fighting Instructions" framework in February that ordered the Navy to establish how fleet commanders will integrate robotic and autonomous systems into service decisions. He also unveiled a "Hedge Strategy" earlier this year that includes a major role for uncrewed systems.

In April 2026, Caudle first proposed the concept of a Warfighting Development Center for RAS during a roundtable. This indicated prior planning for the RASWDC before its formal establishment. During that same period, he mentioned that the Navy was transitioning medium-sized unmanned surface vessels from experimental prototypes to fully operational assets. The first such vessel is set to deploy with the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group.

The Navy previously established the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center and the Naval Surface and Undersea Warfighting Development Centers. These entities set a precedent for centralized integration of specialized warfare domains. The RASWDC’s mandate to test unmanned systems in degraded communication environments mirrors earlier Navy exercises. These include the Unmanned Warrior 2024 event, which focused on autonomous systems operating in contested domains.

Caudle defined the metrics for success in the new framework. "Systems that work will move forward. Systems that do not will be improved, redirected, or stopped," he said.

He emphasized that the measure of success is not the number of prototypes demonstrated. It’s how much combat power we can repeatedly generate, deploy, sustain, and adapt," Caudle said."

Why It Matters

The establishment of the RASWDC addresses specific organizational challenges identified by federal overseers. In March 2025, the Government Accountability Office reported that the Navy had not yet implemented a framework for RAS development that would allow it to meet urgent needs. The GAO report noted leadership and organizational challenges in the integration of robotic and autonomous systems. The report cited that the Navy had not yet implemented a capability-centric approach for RAS development.

The new center aims to address these gaps by creating a structured path for operational integration. By linking acquisition through the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager with operational testing at the RASWDC, the Navy seeks to close the loop between development and deployment. This structure responds to the GAO findings by providing the leadership and organizational framework previously lacking.

What's New

Adm. Daryl Caudle stated that the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center is the critical bridge between capability development and operational employment. Rear Adm. Melvin Smith previously served as the commander of Submarine Group Two, where he oversaw the U.S. Navy’s Undersea Hybrid Fleet Executive Steering Group, which focuses on the development and delivery of undersea robotic autonomous systems capabilities to the fleet.

Rear Adm. Melvin Smith stated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony that the center will draw on expertise from across the Navy and the country. In March 2025, the Government Accountability Office reported that the Navy had not yet implemented a framework for RAS development that would allow it to meet urgent needs, showing leadership and organizational challenges in the integration of robotic and autonomous systems.

Adm. Daryl Caudle released a "Fighting Instructions" framework in February that ordered the Navy to establish how fleet commanders will integrate robotic and autonomous systems into service decisions. The RASWDC’s mandate to test unmanned systems in degraded communication environments mirrors earlier Navy exercises in 2024-2025, such as the Unmanned Warrior 2024 event, which focused on autonomous systems operating in contested domains.

Rear Adm. Smith’s role as commander of Submarine Group Two includes oversight of the Undersea Hybrid Fleet Executive Steering Group, which focuses on developing undersea robotic autonomous systems capabilities, aligning with his leadership of the RASWDC. In April 2026, he first proposed the concept of a Warfighting Development Center for RAS during a roundtable, indicating prior planning for the RASWDC before its formal establishment in September 2026.