PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The U.S. Navy and GSA have quadrupled the ceiling value on Gecko Robotics’ contract for slashing maintenance delays and improving fleet readiness to $300 million, just six months after an initial $71m IDIQ contract award. This fourfold expansion will accommodate rapid robotic deployment across the Navy and is one of the strongest public endorsements yet of operational AI and robotics in defense, signaling the Pentagon’s confidence that it is a core military capability that is delivering results, not experimental technology.

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. 

Central to the expansion is Komodo, a proprietary Gecko robotic technology system. Komodo 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 it apart. It 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 conversation around AI and robotics in defense is no longer about experimental technology. It’s about delivering measurable and impactful returns,” said Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics. “With savings of millions of dollars per ship, months of inspections turning into days and warships returning to sea faster, the U.S. Navy is demonstrating to the world how to deploy technology at scale. We’re proud to give our servicemembers the tools they need to stay ahead of emerging threats.”

The ceiling increase comes as the Department of the Navy places greater emphasis on fleet readiness as a national security priority as every additional day a warship spends in maintenance reduces its ability to deter adversaries, respond to crises, and project power around the world. The Chief of Naval Operations has set a target of 80% fleet readiness, which Gecko will have a crucial role in helping to meet.

Gecko’s wall-climbing robots, drones, and fixed-sensors collect an unprecedented amount of data on the health of U.S. Navy ships and submarines, including components, hulls, decks and welds, with AI being used to create accurate models to identify any current and future structural issues, even ones that cannot be seen by the human eye.

From Gekko Robotics, Oct. 20, 2026