Light UAV Support Ship (ASW) (LUSSA)
Abstract
With the success of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions around the globe, the US Navy continues to re-evaluate its approach to other mission areas such as search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Recent tests onboard Navy aircraft carriers have proven the ability to successfully launch and recover large, fixed-wing aircraft autonomously from their flight decks. With these advancing technologies, a strong interest has emerged for a small support ship to launch and recover large, fixed-wing UAVs. This project was a ten-week effort by Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) interns and NSWCCD naval architects to explore the feasibility of a light UAV support ship concept with an ASW focus. The final design integrates a new concept hull type known as the TriSWACH (Trimaran, Small Waterplane Area Center Hull). The favorable stability and seakeeping attributes of the TriSWACH allow the ship to effectively perform flight operations from a vessel smaller than the Navy's current destroyers. Additionally a concept of operations (CONOPS) was developed that allows the design to perform the entire ASW mission using only its manned and unmanned aircraft. This report describes the CONOPS and the design for a light UAV support ship with ASW capability (LUSSA).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA561737
Entities
People
- Cayle Bradley
- Daniel Nowakowski
- David Coar
- James J. Riley
Organizations
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division