Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s 2027 plans for Korea were part of a broader strategic initiative known as Project 33, which aimed to prepare the U.S. Navy for potential conflict scenarios in the Indo-Pacific, particularly involving China. While she was still in office, Franchetti met with Republic of Korea (ROK) Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Yang Yong-mo in January 2025 to reaffirm the U.S.–ROK alliance and strengthen maritime security cooperation.
Here’s a snapshot of what those plans entailed:
- 🇰🇷 Bilateral Engagements: Franchetti emphasized joint exercises and multilateral engagements with South Korea and Japan to bolster deterrence and regional stability.
- ⚓ Trilateral Coordination: She praised the ROK Navy’s participation in trilateral operations with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, highlighting their importance for Indo-Pacific peace.
- 🛰️ Project 33 Goals: The initiative included scaling robotic and autonomous systems, enhancing information dominance, and preparing Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs) for distributed warfare—all of which would impact operations in Korea and beyond.
However, her tenure was cut short in early 2025 when she was dismissed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid a broader shake-up of military leadership. While her strategic framework remains influential, the execution of her Korean plans now depends on her successor and how closely they adhere to the Project 33 roadmap.
🛰️ Project 33’s Unmanned Systems: Strategic Impact Near Korea
Project 33 is the U.S. Navy’s aggressive modernization initiative aimed at integrating robotic and autonomous systems across the fleet by 2027. In the context of the Korean Peninsula, this reshapes naval operations in several key ways:
- Distributed Surveillance & ISR: Unmanned aerial and undersea vehicles (UxVs) can operate persistently in contested zones like the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, gathering intelligence without risking personnel.
- Sea Denial & Swarming Tactics: Small, attritable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) can be deployed in swarms to restrict adversary movement, particularly in chokepoints like the Korea Strait.
- Hybrid Strike Groups: Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Groups will include robotic platforms for logistics, deception, and fires, enhancing reach and survivability.
- Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs): These will be upgraded to treat information as a weapon system, enabling commanders to fuse data from manned and unmanned assets for faster decision-making.
- Forward Sustainment: Infrastructure in Japan and Guam is being expanded to support unmanned operations, allowing rapid repair and redeployment in crisis scenarios.
⚖️ Geneva Convention Tensions: Where the Line Blurs
Project 33’s emphasis on autonomy flirts with the outer edges of international law, especially regarding proportionality, distinction, and accountability:
- Proportionality Dilemma: Autonomous systems may struggle to evaluate whether civilian harm outweighs military advantage. AI lacks the moral calculus required by Article 57 of Additional Protocol I.
- Distinction Challenges: Facial recognition and sensor-based targeting risk misidentifying non-combatants, especially in dense littoral zones like Busan or Incheon.
- Human Accountability: Article 36 of Protocol I requires legal review of new weapons. Yet, lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS) can act without direct human oversight, raising questions about who bears responsibility for unlawful strikes.
- “Fire, Forget, and Find” Tactics: As seen in Libya and Ukraine, drones operating without real-time human control have already triggered international concern. Project 33’s sea-denial missions could replicate this model.
🧠 The Ethical Frontier
While unmanned systems offer strategic advantages, they also risk normalizing machine-led warfare. The U.S. has not committed to a binding treaty on LAWS, and Project 33’s rapid deployment timeline may outpace legal frameworks. As Admiral Franchetti noted, “We must do so with a focus on how we will use these systems in war”—but the “how” remains a moving target.
WASHINGTON (Feb. 1, 2024) – Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti meets with Republic of Korea Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo for an office call at the Pentagon, Feb. 1. During the counterpart visit, Yang toured different facilities, received demonstrations on a variety of capabilities, and conducted meetings with senior U.S. Navy leaders to discuss maritime security cooperation, interoperability, and readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael B. Zingaro)