U.S. Navy raises AI robot contract to $300 million to speed ship inspections

The U.S. Navy announced a four-fold increase in the ceiling of its contract with Gecko Robotics, raising it to $300 million after an initial $71 million award six months earlier. The expanded deal will deploy the company’s AI-powered wall-climbing robots across more vessels, including the new Komodo unit that scans steel beneath deck coatings without removal, delivering corrosion maps and thickness data. Gecko claims the technology can reduce repair estimates from about 1,200 sq ft to 300 sq ft and save up to $8 million per ship.

By accelerating inspections and pinpointing needed work, the Navy hopes to improve fleet readiness toward an 80 % target while countering China’s larger and faster-producing battle fleet. The initiative also seeks to lessen labor-intensive shipyard tasks amid skilled-worker shortages.