The military’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles has come under intense public scrutiny recently, but high-ranking members of the Navy say the technology is essential to improving our ability to prevent and win wars. And they’re not just talking about robots attacking from above; autonomous surface vessels and underwater vehicles offer equally superior tactical advantages for intelligence gathering as well as military strikes.

Indeed, rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research, assured the crowd at a recent AUVSI conference that the Navy is committed to continue spending on unmanned systems technology despite The Office of Naval Research standing to lose $230 million this fiscal year alone if automatic sequester cuts go…