US Navy Tests CAMP Tool for Autonomous Aircraft Planning

The United States Navy successfully demonstrated the Collaborative Autonomy Mission Planning (CAMP) tool during maritime tests at the Point Mugu Sea range in California earlier this month. The system translates human-developed battle plans into instructions that autonomous aircraft can execute, removing the need for operators to manually format plans for specific platforms.

During the exercise, the Navy integrated CAMP with a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. MQ-20 Avenger uncrewed combat aerial vehicle. This integration allowed the Navy to demonstrate the complete cycle of mission planning, transmission, and result review. The tool is designed to improve interoperability between manned and unmanned platforms and accelerate the operational use of collaborative autonomy.

This development aligns with broader military objectives to prepare the joint force for future threat environments where autonomous systems will be prevalent. The Navy intends for the system to reduce the technical burden on operators and enhance the ability to deliver lethality at scale through an optimized mix of combat capabilities.