U.S. military ready to begin testing unmanned ship designed to cross oceans

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. military is beginning tests of the world's largest unmanned surface vessel -- a self-driving, 132-foot (40-meter) ship designed to travel thousands of miles (kilometers) at sea without a single crew member on board. The so-called Sea Hunter has the potential to revolutionize not only the military's maritime operations but commercial shipping, according to military officials. Military officials showed off the ship in San Diego on Monday before it set sail to a nearby naval base where the testing will be conducted. The sleek, futuristic-looking steel-gray vessel was docked at a maritime terminal in the heart of San Diego's shipbuilding district, where TV crews filmed the robotic craft. No media access was given to the inside of the vessel.