The Navy’s Robot War in the South China Sea

The world's largest unmanned submarine, the 111 foot LSV 2 "Cutthroat," being housed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, Acoustic Research Detachment, in Bayview, Idaho, on Aug. 24, 2005. Jeff T. Green/Getty Images

Commentary

The first “high-end” war won or lost by robots may be fought at sea. The South China Sea, extending from China’s southern coast to Singapore, is a likely candidate for this battleground. At this moment in time, it has replaced the Korean Peninsula as the most dangerous military collision between the great powers China and the United States.