The US Navy's initiative to develop a fleet of autonomous maritime drones aimed at countering China's naval capabilities has encountered substantial difficulties. The program has experienced repeated accidents during testing, including drone crashes caused by software bugs. These technical issues have led to the Pentagon pausing a $20 million contract with defense contractor L3Harris, which was responsible for providing the drones' software. Additionally, the Navy dismissed the admiral overseeing the program amid management challenges. The effort seeks to create a fully autonomous swarm of unmanned vessels inspired by the relatively inexpensive, remotely controlled drones used by Ukraine, though the US approach involves more advanced autonomy. Despite billions of dollars invested, the project has yet to demonstrate operational success, raising questions about its viability and the underlying strategic rationale focused on the perceived China threat.