UAV Swarm Attack: Protection System Alternatives for Destroyers
Abstract
The Navy needs to protect Destroyers (DDGs) from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) attacks. The team, focus-ing on improving the DDG's defenses against small radar cross section UAVs making suicide attacks, estab-lished a DRM, identified current capability gaps, established a functional flow, created requirements, modeled the DDG's current sensing and engagement capabilities in Microsoft Excel, and used Monte Carlo analysis of 500 simulation runs to determine that four out of eight incoming IED UAVs are likely to hit the ship. Sensitivity analysis showed that improving weapon systems is more effective than improving sensor systems, inspiring the generation of alternatives for improving UAV defense. For the eight feasible alternatives the team estimated cost, assessed risk in accordance with the requirements, simulated performance against the eight incoming UAVs, and performed cost benefit analysis. Adding CIWS mounts is the most cost effective alternative, reduc-ing the average number of UAV hits from a baseline of 3.82 to 2.50, costing $816M to equip the 62-DDG fleet for a 12-year life cycle. Combining that with upgraded EW capabilities to jam remote-controlled UAVs reduces the hits to 1.56 for $1844M, and combining those with decoy launchers to defeat the radar-seeking Harpy UAVs reduces the hits to 1.12 for $2862M.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA573999
Entities
People
- Bhavisha Pandya
- Brandon Dickerson
- Demostenes Balbuena
- James Sanders
- Loc V. Pham
- Michael Casserly
- Stephen Graves
- Vicente Maldonado
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School