Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV)
Abstract
The major change between FY 2021 and FY 2022 is that the Navy has reevaluated the LUSV program development and acquisition strategy, and has instituted a comprehensive land and sea based prototyping plan, which will be completed prior to commencing LUSV production. The prototyping plan will use the four Overlord Prototype vessels (vessels procured in FY20 will be delivered in FY22) and various land based testing facilities to mature enabling technologies and qualify representative machinery. In support of the updated developmental and prototyping plan, the Navy is delaying Detail Design and Construction for the initial production LUSVs until the enabling technologies are sufficiently mature and representative machinery has been qualified. In addition, the outcome of the Offensive Surface Fires Analysis of Alternatives (OSF AoA) Navy will support the refinement of program requirements, acquisition strategy, and timing for procurement. The Navy's new plan does not include purchase of any additional prototype vessels. Finally, the Navy has developed a holistic USV funding work breakdown structure (WBS) to help coordinate developmental and systems engineering efforts applicable across the USV portfolio and efforts that are platform-specific. The WBS categories are divided into broad key enablers, including HM&E (1.0), C4I (2.0), ICS (3.0), Common Control System (CCS) (4.0), autonomy (5.0), and prototyping efforts (6.0). LUSVs will provide affordable, high endurance ships able to accommodate various payloads augmenting the Navy's manned surface force in supporting the Future Surface Combatant Force (FSCF) program and Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept. In FY21, the Navy is executing OSF AoA that will explore options ranging from existing designs through conversion of commercial ships to achieve Navy and Department of Defense maritime strike requirements. While the project is titled "Large Unmanned Surface Vessel", this exhibit will describe the desired unmanned capabilities and requirements that the Navy is continuing to pursue pending outcome of the OSF AoA and for simplicity use "LUSV" as the selected platform but the technology development would be applicable to all of the material solutions that are being considered as part of the AoA. The LUSV will be capable of weeks-long deployments and trans-oceanic transits and operate aggregated with Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs), Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs), Surface Action Groups (SAGs), and individual manned combatants. If an autonomous variant from the OSF AoA is chosen by the Navy, the LUSV will be capable of autonomous navigation, transit planning, and COLREGS-compliant maneuvering and will be designed with automated propulsion, electrical generation, and support systems. LUSV missions will be conducted with operators in-the-loop (with continuous or near-continuous observation or control) or on-the-loop (autonomous operation that prompts operator action/intervention from sensory input or autonomous behaviors). LUSVs with integrated payload capability and prototypes employing non-organic payloads will not be capable of autonomous payload engagement or execution of a complete detect-to-engage sequence. The vessel will be incapable of payload activation, deactivation, or engagement without the deliberate action of a remote, off-hull human operator in the command and control loop. The program will 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, and will not be equipped with components that would enable payload engagement from onboard the vessel. USV Command and Control (C2) will be maintained via an afloat element (i.e., embarked on a United States Navy (USN) combatant), or via the ashore element (C2 station ashore). Pending outcome of the OSF AoA, the LUSV program is continuing to execute a comprehensive land and sea-based prototyping strategy to develop and deliver incremental capability increases, demonstrate key autonomy and automation enablers, and improve reliability of representative machinery. The strategy supports research and development prototype vessels intended to demonstrate successful integration of government furnished Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) (WBS 2.0), combat systems (WBS 3.0), and the reliability of automated hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) systems (WBS 1.0), eventually leading to a LUSV with the Integrated Combat System (ICS) and organic payloads. Early prototype vessels are enabling the Navy to accrue operational hours to gather data on autonomy, automation, and systems reliability, increase confidence in the man-machine team, and develop and refine unmanned concepts of operation (CONOPs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). The overarching LUSV development strategy views the purchase, fielding, and testing of the prototype USVs through the procurement of production USVs as a single developmental effort. The LUSV Performance Specification that will be released under the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) solicitation will heavily leverage the results of the prototype USV developmental effort, land based testing plan, and continued engagement with industry. The government-furnished C4I suite that will be incorporated into the LUSV will be developed under the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Enabling Capabilities (Project 3067) (WBS 2.0). Non-organic payloads (e.g. CTEM) are being developed separately under other prototyping efforts and will be further developed and/or integrated into LUSV under the Enabling Capabilities project. Key combat systems, payload technologies, and enablers will continue to be developed and matured, leading to at-sea demonstrations, including a remotely commanded demonstration from a surface combatant, in FY 2022. In FY 2020, the Navy also implemented a comprehensive reliability plan with the intent to discover and implement reliability enhancements into USV machinery plants (WBS 1.0) as well as provide a means to qualify LUSV-representative machinery plants prior to start of construction of the initial production LUSVs. The effort will leverage industry engagement under the FY 2020 - FY 2021 LUSV Studies Contract effort, which will be used to determine reliability enhancements, improvements, and other potential machinery plant architectures designed to achieve LUSV operational and reliability requirements. Additionally, the Navy executed a parallel effort to qualify the main engines for the prototype MUSV (same as on 3 of 4 prototype USVs), which will conclude in FY 2023. This effort assisted the Navy in developing plans, in concert with industry, that will carry forward to FY 2022 plans to qualify LUSV-representative machinery plants. In FY 2021, the Navy worked with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to develop USV machinery plant standards, which will allow potential vendors a path to prove reliability of proposed architectures and equipment for production LUSVs. As part of the long term reliability plan in FY 2022, the Navy will continue the comprehensive reliability plan, engaging with industry to execute a robust industry-led, with government oversight, qualification plan to provide several options and improving flexibility to potential vendors for the competitive LUSV DD&C award with potential applicability to other commercially-based ship classes such as the Light Amphibious Warship and the Next Generation Logistics Ship. The plan would seek to purchase representative machinery from multiple manufacturers and conduct qualification testing at a vendor site. In parallel, the Navy will determine the feasibility of and explore options to establish a government Land Based Engineering Site, to further develop and institute reliability enhancements to representative machinery architectures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2022
- Source ID
- 3066_0603178N_4_1319_PB_2022
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