US Navy Creates New Office to Fast-Track Robotic and Autonomous Systems
Defense Technology — Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced the creation of a new organization dedicated to overseeing robotic and autonomous systems across the Department of the Navy, in a move aimed at consolidating how the service develops, defines requirements for, and purchases this fast-growing category of technology.
US Navy to Fast-Track Robotic and Autonomous Systems
The newly established office—called the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems, or DRPM RAS—borrows its organizational framework from a model the Navy has already used successfully in another domain: submarines. Officials describe the move as a deliberate effort to correct years of disjointed practices around how robotic and autonomous capabilities have been funded, defined, and acquired.
That fragmentation, the Navy says, has historically diluted accountability, made it harder for industry partners to engage effectively, and slowed the pace at which new capabilities actually reached sailors and Marines. The new office is also intended to work in close coordination with a parallel Department of War organization overseeing unmanned offensive and defensive systems.
Leadership and Reporting Structure
Christopher Miller has been named acting head of DRPM RAS and will report directly to William Toti, who is currently performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy. In addition to leading the new office, Miller will simultaneously hold the role of acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for robotic and autonomous systems—a dual role that mirrors how the submarine-focused version of this structure operates.
Why the Navy Says This Matters Now
Toti characterized the timing as critical, describing the current moment as a turning point in naval warfare. He argued that the Department's prior approach to robotic and autonomous systems relied on outdated processes that couldn't keep pace with what sailors and Marines actually need on the timeline they need it. According to Toti, Secretary Cao has directed the Navy to replace that approach with a model built around clearer lines of accountability, quicker decision-making, and a sharper focus on frontline warfighters.
A Possible Move Away from Washington
Beyond the organizational restructuring itself, the Department of the Navy is also weighing whether to relocate DRPM RAS staff out of the Washington, D.C. area entirely, positioning them closer to fleet operations instead. The review is examining whether such a move would improve coordination with operational units and help ensure that feedback from sailors actually in the field stays closely tied to how new capabilities are developed and deployed.
Industry Partnership as a Key Piece
Miller emphasized that keeping pace with adversaries as the world's most capable maritime force will require the Navy to work more closely—and more quickly—with industry partners to design and deliver next-generation warfighting technology. He stressed that success hinges on letting real operational needs drive the development process, ensuring the systems that get built are ones the fleet actually needs, rather than technology developed in isolation from frontline requirements.
What This Means Going Forward
The Navy is framing the creation of DRPM RAS as a meaningful step in its broader effort to modernize how it governs and executes acquisition, with officials tying the change directly to the larger goal of strengthening maritime deterrence. As robotic and autonomous systems become an increasingly central part of naval strategy—from unmanned surface vessels to underwater drones—this restructuring signals the Navy's intent to treat the technology not as a peripheral capability, but as a core pillar of how it plans to fight and compete at sea in the years ahead.
Source: US Navy Press Office