Defense-Tech Startup Hits Weapon Setbacks

The Navy was attempting to launch and recover more than 30 drone boats from a combat ship off the coast of California in May when more than a dozen of the uncrewed vessels failed to carry out their missions.

- By Shelby Holliday, Heather Somerville, Alistair MacDonald and Emily Glazer

The boats had rejected their inputs and automatically idled as a fail-safe, making them “dead” in the water.