BlackSea Technologies collaborates with U.S. Naval Academy to advance unmanned surface vehicle education and training

BlackSea Technologies announced a collaboration with the U.S. Naval Academy to advance education, research and training in unmanned surface vehicle technologies . The collaboration aims to prepare the next generation of naval officers to lead the Navy’s hybrid fleet .
The opportunity for enhanced training and education outside the classroom for midshipmen comes as unmanned systems are integrated into the Surface Warfare Officer career path . Through faculty research, midshipman capstone projects and potential opportunities for summer internships, BlackSea will offer direct engagement opportunities that connect academic study to real-world innovation .
🎤 “As unmanned systems reshape the operational environment, future officers must enter the fleet with both technical expertise and operational insight,” said Todd Greene, Deputy Director of Advanced Technology at BlackSea. “At BlackSea, we see this moment as an inflection point, just as significant as the birth of naval aviation . The future fleet will be a hybrid one where crewed and unmanned platforms operate as a cohesive team. Actively participating in the education of Midshipmen to prepare them for this new force structure is our honor and duty.”
The collaboration builds on the Navy’s summer unmanned training initiative at Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadrons One and Three (USVRON 1 and USVRON 3) in Port Hueneme and San Diego, California where midshipmen trained with autonomy control software, payload integration and operational experimentation with Unmanned Surface Vessels, including BlackSea’s Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARCs) operated by USVRON 3 .
Some Midshipmen earned “Blue Chip” assignments, securing future billets with the squadrons upon commissioning as Surface Warfare Officers .
BlackSea’s support to the Naval Academy provides engagement opportunities where midshipmen will not only observe but also contribute to the development and integration of unmanned technologies — equipping them with skills required to employ innovation in the fleet from day one
📃📷 Source: BlackSea