Gecko Robotics Signs Major U.S. Navy Contract to Support Ship Maintenance with Robotic Inspections

Gecko Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in industrial inspection robots and sensors, has secured its largest deal with the U.S. Navy, marking a significant step in military automation. The five-year IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) agreement, coordinated with the U.S. Navy and the General Services Administration (GSA), begins with an initial $54 million award and can grow up to $71 million. The Navy plans to deploy Gecko’s robotic systems and sensors across 18 ships in the U.S. Pacific Fleet to monitor their condition and create detailed digital twins of each vessel. These digital replicas will enable predictive maintenance, helping to reduce downtime and costs while aiming to achieve the Navy’s goal of 80% ship readiness by 2027. Currently, roughly 40% of the fleet is unavailable at any given time due to lengthy maintenance cycles, which cost the Navy an estimated $13 to $20 billion annually. Gecko Robotics has been collaborating with the Navy for four years, beginning after a port engineer in Japan initiated contact. The company developed a preventive maintenance plan that impressed the Navy and led to this expanded partnership. Gecko’s CEO, Jake Loosararian, envisions a future where maintenance is proactive rather than reactive, allowing ships to remain operational longer and minimizing service interruptions.