The U.S. Navy wants to build a new AI-first fleet and is betting that better data, faster technology adoption and more tech-savvy sailors will help achieve it.

The service’s recently launched strategy focuses on using artificial intelligence and data in more ways and is based on ensuring that boaters master the technology and can keep up with the increasingly rapid pace of its development. The Navy’s approach is just one example of the broader transformation the U.S. military has undergone as it embraces AI across its operations, missions and systems.

Momentum is important because future naval fights may depend on which force can collect, process and act on information most quickly. Speed ​​can be a deciding factor.

This week, the Navy released information about its roadmap to “weaponize data and artificial intelligence,” which includes building a data-ready, AI-enabled force, after more than a year of work.

“This strategy positions the Department of the Navy to learn from and outperform any adversary through the rapid deployment of data and artificial intelligence,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said, according to the news release. “It’s our roadmap to building an AI-first fleet, one that turns information into a warfighting advantage and enables faster, better decisions.”

The plan focuses on six core areas. The Navy will accelerate its use of AI by deciding which projects are most promising for large-scale deployment. The service also plans to optimize the way it collects, organizes and interprets data so that the service’s Sailors can understand it more easily and quickly, a critical concern for new technologies being brought into the military.

The Navy will also upgrade its hardware so it can better support data and artificial intelligence capabilities. And organizational processes within the service will be optimized so that more people have input and authority over the use of data and AI. They will also focus on partnerships with industry, academia, the broader federal government, and U.S. allies and partners.

The maritime service also plans to develop its workforce to be more capable when it comes to data and artificial intelligence technologies. This will include hiring staff with specific skills, developing expertise across the workforce, and helping your workers prepare for the rapid pace of change in these technologies.

Ultimately, the plan will move the Navy toward what Cao described as an “AI-first” fleet.

U.S. Navy spokesperson Lt. Jake Ryan told Business Insider that the planned “AI-based Fleet deliberately integrates artificial intelligence into the entire fabric of naval operations to enhance the U.S. warfighting advantage in the digital age, where the speed of information gathering is now the decisive variable in maintaining dominance.”

The Navy’s AI plan aligns with broader US military strategies for the use of these technologies. The service has been investing in automation and artificial intelligence in shipbuilding, including an artificial intelligence program that reduced a submarine planning job from 160 hours to 10 minutes, as well as automated factories to build parts for major nuclear submarine programs.

The Army has been testing the use of AI in its new warfare software, Next Generation Command and Control, identifying specific use cases for the technology while keeping soldiers informed. Artificial intelligence and automation have helped synthesize and process data, as well as predict ammunition, supply and maintenance problems.

While the US military is exploring AI opportunities in weapons such as unmanned systems, intelligence and target analysis, the Pentagon has also seen the value of using AI in its most monotonous administrative jobs, reducing the cognitive load on service members. The US Department of Defense’s artificial intelligence program recorded 1.5 million daily users last month, up from 80,000 in December 2025.