Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSV)

The (U)LARGE UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS (LUSVs) falls under the Navy's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity. The primary goal of this program is to provide resources for the development of Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs) and Overlord research and development prototype vessels. LUSVs are intended to offer affordable, high-endurance ships capable of accommodating various payloads for unmanned missions and augmenting the Navy's manned surface force. The program aims to support the Navy's Distributed Maritime Operations concept by delivering increased readiness, capability, and capacity at lower procurement and sustainment costs while reducing risk to sailors. Additionally, the program leverages years of investment and full-scale demonstration efforts in autonomy, endurance, command and control, payloads, and testing from various defense agencies.

For FY 2024, the major goal is to maintain the planned Detail Design and Construction for the initial production LUSV in FY 2025. The Navy has instituted a comprehensive system engineering framework and supporting land and sea-based prototyping plan to be completed before commencing the formal program of record and LUSV production. The program aims to develop a holistic USV work breakdown structure (WBS) framework to coordinate developmental and systems engineering efforts applicable across the USV portfolio. This includes key enablers such as HM&E, C4I, USV ICS, Common Control System (CCS), autonomy, and prototyping efforts. The supporting land and sea-based prototyping plan will use Overlord Prototype vessels procured in previous years to mature enabling technologies and qualify representative machinery. The program also aims to integrate current Navy combat systems programs of record that have been adapted to enable remote monitoring and operational control from an off-hull command and control point. Overall, the program seeks to deliver incremental capability increases, demonstrate key autonomy and automation enablers, improve reliability of representative machinery, refine unmanned concepts of operation (CONOPs), tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and develop solutions for government-furnished engineering operations autonomy modules and machinery control systems at Naval Surface Warfare Center sites.