Introduction
Unmanned Naval Combat Platforms : Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), the primary type of unmanned naval warfare platform, are becoming increasingly important in contemporary naval operations.
An unmanned Maritime System is a weapons system equipped with high-tech ISR devices to do surveillance and tracking of intruding surface targets or underwater sea mines or submarines.
These unmanned watercrafts can be remotely controlled or operated independently on the water’s surface. They are made for countermeasures against mines, anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance, and surveillance, among other military uses.
Unmanned naval combat platforms are small, semi-planning hull craft that are intended to operate in an optionally manned configuration to conduct anti-submarine warfare, special warfare, mine warfare
Categories in unmanned Naval Combat Platforms:
The Navy has defined four basic categories
LUSV’s Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles:
The Navy envisions LUSVs as being 200 feet to 300 feet in length and having full load displacements of 1,000 tons to 2,000 tons, making them the size of a corvette (i.e., a ship larger than a patrol craft and smaller than a frigate). The Navy wants LUSVs to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships with ample capacity for carrying various modular payloads—particularly anti-surface warfare.
Musv’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles:
The Navy defines MUSVs as being less than 200 feet in length, with displacements of less than 500 tons, which would make them the size of a patrol craft. The Navy wants MUSVs, like LUSVs, to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships that can accommodate various payloads. Initial payloads for MUSVs are to be systems for supporting Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR-&T), Counter-ISR&T, and Information Operations (IO) missions.
Xluuv’s Extra-large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles:
XLUUVs are roughly the size of a subway car. The Navy wants to use XLUUVs to, among other things, covertly deploy the Hammerhead mine, a planned mine that would be tethered to the seabed and armed with an antisubmarine torpedo, broadly similar to the Navy’s Cold War-era CAPTOR (encapsulated torpedo) mine. Five “operationally relevant prototype” XLUUVs were procured.
- Common unmanned surface vessels (CUSV) are about 40-50 feet long and displace less than 10 tons.
- small unmanned surface vessels (SUSVs) are speedboats about 20-40 feet long, weighing a few tons.
Future Developments in UNCP:
U.S. Navy unmanned vehicles experts plan to spend nearly a billion dollars among 49 companies over the next five years for a major effort to design next-generation unmanned surface vessels
Among the Navy’s programs for developing and acquiring unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) of various sizes are programs for developing two large USVs—the Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) and Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV)—and a program for a large UUV called the Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV), also known as Orca.
The LUSV and MUSV programs are building on USV prototypes and other development work done by the DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO). SCO’s effort to develop USVs was called Ghost Fleet, and its LUSV development effort within Ghost Fleet was called Overlord.
The future progress of Unmanned Naval Combat platforms depends on the development of full autonomy, enabling USVs to work in any unstructured or unpredictable environment without human supervision.
Unmanned Naval Combat platforms in warfare:
unmanned vessels will free up manned ships for those specific presence operations where a human touch is invaluable (such as port visits), reducing strain on the flee.
The Navy’s large unmanned surface vessel is expected to serve this mission by swelling the Navy’s capacity to launch land-attack missiles. Destroyers and guided missile submarines already serve this function, but unmanned vessels will, according to their advocates, do so more cheaply and with less human risk.
The second role unmanned ships are expected to serve in the sea control mission: is offensive surface warfare. As noted, the Navy has been explicit that any unmanned ship with kinetic capabilities will be controlled by humans. As such, these vessels cannot be compared to, say, a command-guided missile that switches to radar in the terminal phase.
The specialty USV could withstand the harsh ocean environment for extended periods and their software and systems were reliable enough for extended voyages and missions.
Further improvements in USV technology are expected to bring tremendous benefits, such as lower development and operation costs, improved staff safety, extended operational range, precision, and greater autonomy.
Technological Advancements in Unmanned Naval Combat Platforms:
In parallel with the mechanical and electronic system architecture improvements for USVs, software advanced rapidly as well, with a special focus on autonomous navigation methods and techniques in compliance and contribution to ocean digitalization and e-navigation framework initiatives.
The mission-oriented operating system (MOOS) enabled surveys for both commercial and scientific purposes to make good use of USV technology. MOOS allowed such missions to be executed in a supervisory control approach.
The vessel’s low-level control (i.e. rudder actuation and navigation path planning to pre-set waypoints) is automated while the overall behavior is managed by an operator. This approach is commonly seen in USV today
Autonomous navigation of UNCPs consists of various sensors to detect the navigating path, and the environmental and vessel properties to determine safe travel.
Challenges in Unmanned Naval Combat Platforms:
Several unmanned naval Combat Platforms developments have been undertaken through public and private initiatives with diverse scope and purpose
- unmanned vessels’ maintenance and support requirements will be high
- unmanned vessels could increase the fleet’s vertical-launch capacity – and therefore its combat credibility – they may also worsen operational tempo or contribute to higher overall costs.
- The design and build of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) are complex and challenging.
- Unmanned naval Combat Platforms are always in competition with other manned or unmanned systems in terms of some specific applications.
- Improved USV capabilities allow us to undertake missions both in coastal and open-ocean areas for long periods due to more efficient power and propulsion systems based in some cases on renewable energy sources.
Conclusion
Unmanned Naval Combat Platforms are revolutionizing maritime warfare by offering enhanced capabilities, operational flexibility, and strategic advantages. As technological advancements continue to drive their development, UNCPs will play an increasingly vital role in ensuring maritime security and dominance in the 21st century. The future of naval operations lies in the successful integration and deployment of these cutting-edge platforms, shaping a new era of naval warfare.