
U.S. military christens self-driving 'Sea Hunter' warship - fh973
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-robot-ship-idUSKCN0X42I4
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creshal
> The ship's projected $20 million price tag and its $15,000 to $20,000 daily
> operating cost make it relatively inexpensive for the U.S. military.

$5.5-7.3 million yearly operating costs is cheap? Yikes.

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aaron695
5.5 million per year would be 70 crew members wages? A small-medium
organization.

Wiki -"The United States Navy has nearly 500,000 personnel"

No food costs. No one gets evacked cause their toe got infected.

No crew quarters, toilets, mess on a ship = a pretty cheap ship.

Can roll over in a storm.

No re-stocking food, although fuel needs might make that redundant.

Less time at port, perhaps, equals a bigger ROI.

I guess normal ships are not cheap.

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aaron695
Since it's unmanned could you get salvage rights on it?

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brudgers
Exercising those rights is probably a non-trivial implementation detail.

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nxzero
Is this the first fully autonomous military bot?

Seems like if only non-autonomous actions are attacking a target that the
attack briefs are likely automated too - and makes me wonder what percent of
the time the suggested course of action is not taken.

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googletazer
It's probably going to be in the next Screamers movie. Jokes aside, a fully
autonomous cruiser is a very cool weapon.

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jamiethompson
Hunty McSeaface

