News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
US Navy, Gecko Robotics surge AI maintenance contract to $300M
The U.S. Navy is ramping up its investment in artificial intelligence technology to streamline ship repairs and resolve maintenance logjams. Gecko Robotics announced Tuesday that the Navy is increasing the value of its initial contract to up to $300 million -- just six months after the company reached an initial agreement with the sea service. "Gecko's AI and robotic technology can save the U.S. Navy up to $8 million in repair costs per ship and return vessels to sea quicker by identifying structural issues up to 50 times faster than traditional methods -- reducing inspections from months to days," Gecko Robotics said in a release. The initial contract began as a 5-year, $54 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity deal for Gecko to work on 18 ships assigned to the Navy's U.S. Pacific Fleet. The company uses drones, wall-climbing robots and fixed sensors to gather data on components, decks, welds and hulls. That information, paired with AI tools, is used to identify current and potential structural issues that may remain hidden to the naked eye. A key part of the new contract investment is Gecko Robotics' Komodo machine system, which analyzes the health of deck coatings by scanning -- eliminating the need to physically dig into them. This allows the Navy to plan repairs and map out damaged areas before the ship enters dry dock, something that previously only occurred after the maintenance cycle began. The Navy has consistently stated its goal of reaching 80% fleet readiness by 2027, despite criticisms of the service's deployment capabilities. The Government Accountability Office reported in December 2024 that readiness rates among the Navy's amphibious warfare ships fell to 46% between 2011 and 2020, hindering Marine Corps deployment and training plans. In August 2025, that rate reportedly dipped to just 41%, resulting in a more than five-month gap in Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments that year and further straining resources amid the Trump administration's push to counter the illicit drug trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, who adopted the 80% goal from his predecessor Adm. Lisa Franchetti, laid out the major tenets for achieving the ambitious milestone. "Achieving this requires shorter maintenance cycles, increased spare-parts availability, improved training pipelines and targeted upgrades across the fleet," Caudle wrote for Military Times in December.
Gecko Robotics eyes further fleet work growth after expanded US naval work contract
Gecko Robotics' Komodo system, shown here, scans through thick, non-skid deck coatings without stripping or damaging them. (Gecko Robotics) The recently expanded contract for US Navy (USN) shipboard maintenance helps clear a path for greater naval work and maritime maintenance impact for Gecko Robotics' technology that mates robotics, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI), according to Troy Demmer, company president and co-founder. "It's a big step forward," Demmer told Janes during an interview on 29 October. "From what we see across the fleet or across the class, we can draw out insights," Demmer said, adding that such insight can change class-maintenance plans. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gecko Robotics acknowledged a USD71 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) and USN in March 2026 to deploy its robotic systems for maintenance work on USN vessels. The company confirmed on 22 October that the ceiling for that initial contract had been expanded to USD300 million and will "accommodate rapid robotic deployment across the navy", the company said in a release. The increased contract work comes as the USN continues its struggle to work through maintenance delays across the fleet. Central to the expansion is Komodo, a proprietary Gecko Robotics technology system that scans through thick, non-skid deck coatings without stripping or damaging them, giving the navy the ability to see the health of assets without taking them apart, the company said. The technology produces a full-deck heatmap of corrosion and material thickness, enabling repair teams to pinpoint damage and plan work before a ship enters drydock, which was previously possible only after maintenance had begun, the company said. Komodo is ground-based robot, with more sensors and capability than previously offered, Demmer told
