Large USVs to Be Integrated with US Naval Fleets

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The United States Navy is calling for companies to present ideas for the service’s Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV). The Navy intends to operate 10 of these unmanned ships within the next five years. The LUSVs main function would be to scout for the main battle fleet. On top of that, the ships will also be used for all the dull, dirty, and dangerous work.

The LUSV will be built based on the experience the Navy has had with their Sea Hunter USV, which succeeded in sailing from North America to Hawaii, unmanned.

The United States military is calling for the LUSV to be a high endurance, reconfigurable ship, with a high payload capacity that can support the Navy’s manned ships. The LUSV should also be capable of autonomous and semi-autonomous operation.

The United States Naval Institute has asked for about $400 million for 2020’s budget in order to build two LUSVs as part of the research and development program. Popularmechanics.com mention that the Navy plans on building two ships a year for a five year period.

While intended to be unmanned, the LUSV will have accommodations for a small human crew if necessary.

The ships will have the ability to operate several attack payloads such as anti-ship missiles and land attack missiles, however the LUSV will generally be unarmed. 

LUSVs will largely operate as floating scouts, utilizing advanced sensors to detect threats early for the manned ships in the fleet.

Such vessels work as a force multiplier for Naval fleets, allowing forces to scout, attack, and defend without risking a single sailor’s life.