Self Defense Test Ship

The Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) is an asset of the US Navy.

It is a refurbished ship that is in some cases operated by remote control; that capability is designed to support self-defense engineering, testing, and evaluation.

[citation needed] When uncrewed, it can avoid the safety constraints and other problems associated with crewed ships.

The pre-arranged attack is, in practice, aimed at a decoy barge pulled 150 feet behind the SDTS in case of damage.

In addition to being a remote-controlled ship, she is a test-bed for numerous systems, technologies, and weapons, ranging from bio-fuels to lasers.

USS Decatur (DDG-31) as Self Defense Test Ship, in 2003.
The US Navy Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) - Formerly the USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) moored at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Naval Base Ventura County , Port Hueneme, California in 2014.