Navy Expands Robot Contract to $300M After Fast Results

The U.S. Navy is betting big on robots that can fix ships faster than ever before.

Just six months ago, Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics won a $71 million contract to help inspect Navy vessels. The results came so fast that the Navy and General Services Administration just expanded that deal to $300 million, a fourfold increase that will put more robots to work across the entire fleet.

The star of the show is Komodo, a specialized robot that can scan thick ship deck coatings without stripping or damaging them. Before Komodo, crews had to remove protective coatings just to check what was underneath, a process that took months. Now, the same inspections happen in days.

The technology creates detailed heat maps showing exactly where corrosion and damage hide, even problems invisible to the human eye. Repair teams can plan their work before a ship even enters drydock, slashing delays that used to pile up once maintenance began.

The savings are substantial. Gecko estimates the Navy saves up to $8 million per ship by catching problems early and fixing them faster. Even better, warships get back to sea quicker, which matters when fleet readiness is a national security priority.

The chief of naval operations has set a target of 80% fleet readiness. Every extra day a warship spends in maintenance means one less day it can respond to threats or support allies around the world.

Gecko's wall-climbing robots, drones, and fixed sensors now collect unprecedented amounts of data on hulls, decks, welds, and other critical components across Navy ships and submarines. Artificial intelligence analyzes all that information to spot current damage and predict future problems.

The Ripple Effect

This contract expansion signals something bigger than faster ship repairs. It shows that AI and robotics have moved from experimental technology to proven tools the Pentagon trusts for critical operations.

"The conversation around AI and robotics in defense is no longer about experimental technology," said Jake Loosararian, Gecko's co-founder and CEO. "With savings of millions of dollars per ship, months of inspections turning into days, and warships returning to sea faster, the U.S. Navy is demonstrating to the world how to deploy technology at scale."

The rapid expansion also means the service members who keep our fleet running get better tools to do their jobs safely and efficiently. What once required teams of people working for months in difficult conditions can now happen faster with robotic assistance.

As these robots prove their worth, the technology could spread to other military branches and even commercial shipping, where the same challenges of corrosion, maintenance delays, and inspection costs plague operators worldwide.

When innovation meets real need, progress moves fast.