The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases an unclassified version of a 2025 report that examines the U.S. Navy’s progress on developing and fielding autonomous systems, including its efforts related to robotics and autonomy. According to the reported GAO findings, the Navy needs to improve the processes it uses to develop autonomous capabilities. The sources say the unclassified release comes from a previously classified GAO assessment, indicating the watchdog is making its core conclusions available to a broader audience while keeping more sensitive details restricted. While the outlets do not specify which development or acquisition steps require change, they report that GAO’s overall assessment is focused on how the Navy manages and advances autonomous system programs. The releases are intended to inform oversight and accountability by describing where the Navy’s current approach falls short and how process improvements may be needed to support more effective autonomous systems development.