(U)LARGE UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS (LUSVs)

Abstract

This Program Element provides resources for the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), one of the two unmanned platforms in the Navy's Future Surface Combatant Force (FSCF). This Program Element also provides resources for the Prototype vessels. LUSVs will provide affordable, high endurance ships able to accommodate various payloads for unmanned missions and augment the Navy's manned surface force. LUSVs will be capable of autonomous operation, with operators in-the-loop to control the combat system. USV Command and Control (C2) will be maintained via an afloat element (i.e., embarked on a United States Navy (USN) combatant/other assigned afloat asset) or via an ashore element (C2 station ashore). While MUSV (PE 0605512N) and LUSV will logically share common Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) C2 systems to support fleet integration and operations and may share other autonomy and mechanical technologies (depending on acquisition approaches), they will be primarily differentiated by size and cost driven by payload capabilities, and capacities. LUSV is a key enabler of the Navy's Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept, which includes being able to forward deploy and team with individual manned combatants or augment battle groups. LUSV will complement the Navy's manned combatant force by delivering increased readiness, capability and needed capacity at lower procurement and sustainment costs and reduced risk to sailors. While unmanned surface vehicles are new additions to the fleet units, LUSV will combine robust and proven commercial vessel specifications with existing military payloads to rapidly and affordably expand the capacity and capability of the surface fleet. The Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) development is supported by research and development prototype vessels intended to demonstrate successful integration of government furnished Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I), combat systems, and the reliability of automated hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) systems. The program leverages years of investment and full scale demonstration efforts in autonomy, endurance, command and control, payloads and testing from the Defense Advanced research Projects Agency (DARPA) Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV), Office of Naval Research (ONR) Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MDUSV)/Sea Hunter (FY 2017 to FY 2021), and Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (OSD- SCO) Ghost Fleet Overlord Large USV experimentation effort (FY 2018 - FY 2021). The combination of fleet-ready C2 solutions developed by the Ghost Fleet Overlord program and man-in-the-loop or man-on-the-loop control will reduce the risk of fleet integration of unmanned surface vehicles and allow autonomy and payload technologies to develop in parallel with fielding vehicles with standardized interfaces. LUSV is the baseline vessel defined in the Offensive Surface Fires Analysis of Alternatives (OSF AoA). The OSF AoA examined a wide range of material solutions to determine the most appropriate vessel to deliver additional capacity to the fleet.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 0603178N_4_1319_PB_2025
• Change Summary Explanation: Program Changes: Technical: Not applicable Schedule: Not applicable Cost: FY 2023: -$4.900M SBIR/STTR/FTT Assessment (SBIR) FY 2024: No Change FY 2025: -$72.749M programmatic reductions; -$1.142M miscellaneous adjustments
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Readers

• Maritime and Naval Warfare Studies
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control