The U.S. Navy officially set up its first unmanned undersea squadron, Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1, or UUVRON, at an event on Sept. 26 in Washington state.

Cmdr. Scott Smith, of Hartford, South Dakota, is its first command officer.

"Today we are transitioning our UUV detachment into the first UUV squadron,” said Capt. Robert Gaucher, who turned over his command of Submarine Development Squadron 5 (DEVRON 5) at the same event. “Why is this historical? It's because in standing up UUVRON 1, it shows our Navy's commitment to the future of unmanned systems and undersea combat."

DEVRON 5 is charged with multiple submarine warfare mission areas, including submarine rescue operations and the activities of three Seawolf-class submarines. It is also responsible for developing and testing new submarine warfare capabilities, including the use of unmanned vehicles.

Below: Capt. Robert Gaucher, right, turns over command of DEVRON 5 to Capt. Stephen Mack. Photo: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amanda R. Gray