Navy Deploys Data Collection System to Turn Ships Into AI Training Platforms
The Navy has taken delivery of its first Data Edge Collection Kit (DECK) from Applied Intuition, a system designed to continuously gather operational data and convert it into material for training artificial intelligence algorithms. The program, announced Thursday, represents an early step in the service's effort to build what it calls the Golden Fleet - a software-defined naval force.
DECK uses onboard sensors to collect thousands of hours of operational environment data, then processes that raw information into formats suitable for AI model training and deployment. The system automatically updates software-defined systems aboard ship without requiring manual intervention.
The Navy's existing infrastructure cannot rapidly collect and process data at the speeds modern AI systems require. Most autonomous systems currently rely on manual tactics for critical functions. DECK addresses this gap by acting as a direct pipeline between sensors and AI applications.
How the System Works
Applied Intuition's general manager of defense compared DECK to data collection systems used in autonomous vehicle development. Self-driving cars work because they gather continuous training data for perception, planning, and control algorithms - then continuously update those algorithms with new information.
"The amount of data used to train ChatGPT or any large language model is just unbelievable," he said. "Everything that's out there in the operating environment should be gathering data for AI solutions."
The system processes sensor data onboard rather than requiring transmission to shore-based facilities. This allows AI capabilities to function in austere environments with minimal infrastructure - a critical requirement for naval operations.
Part of Broader Pentagon AI Strategy
Navy Secretary John Phelan said deploying DECK is "one of the first steps" toward transforming the fleet into learning systems rather than static platforms. The effort supports the Pentagon's broader push to integrate AI across military operations, including initiatives like GenAI.mil designed to make AI tools part of daily workflows.
The second Trump administration has called on the Defense Department to accelerate AI adoption across all services. DECK represents how the Navy intends to build the technical foundation for that shift.
For IT and development professionals, understanding how organizations build AI for IT & Development infrastructure offers insights into enterprise-scale data pipeline challenges. The Navy's approach to continuous data collection mirrors patterns used in commercial AI development, where Generative AI and LLM training depends on massive volumes of structured training data.
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