In response to a rapidly evolving global security environment, the United States Navy wishes to turn to robotics to rapidly expand its operational capacity and supplement the human workforce aboard their ships. However, the interior of a warship presents a very challenging environment for robots to navigate. A shipboard robot must be able to reliably open watertight doors, climb stairs at a 60 degree incline, weave through tight corridors, and perform its designated tasks, even under difficult sea conditions. SAAPER is a technology demonstrator robot designed to navigate an obstacle course modeled after the interior of a warship at 1:3 scale. SAAPER can be controlled remotely to handle all tasks, or handle most navigation and interaction tasks autonomously. Our work is another step forward in the field of shipboard robotics and will pave the way towards the full integration of robots into the Navy’s workforce.