The Fight on the Homefront: The U.S. Navy's Unmanned Systems and Homeland Defense

Abstract

The U.S. Navy is a force that provides deterrence with a forward presence around the globe. The advancement of technology and the rise of strategic competitors have shifted the dynamics of military operations, which can challenge the forward presence of the U.S. Navy. This challenge can threaten the U.S. homeland, while the focus of military strategy is to maintain forces abroad. To secure the homeland, this thesis argues that the U.S. Navy can innovate and make greater use of unmanned systems. Unmanned systems will be an aspect of the fleets force design soon, and their integration is critical for the future of naval operations. The Navy is currently developing and testing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned surface vehicles (USV), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) to augment the fleet and increase its capabilities. These systems can enhance the U.S. Navy's ability to defend the homeland through the following mission areas: intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), maritime security, anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and mine countermeasures (MCM).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2023
Accession Number
AD1224872

Entities

People

  • Thomas B. Arlowe

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Readers

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

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs