The U.S. Navy's Holiday Wish List The Navy may be working on autonomous robots and UAVs for the distant future, but for now, it's research priorities expose the pentagon's technological ambitions and worries at sea.
1. Desalination Machines The Navy needs smaller devices that can produce clean water in ports and from other brackish sources close to shore. One key is upgrading the filters used on current reverse-osmosis systems with new materials that can screen tinier particles.