Looking into new developments in unmanned sea vehicles

One of the key advantages of USVs is their ability to operate in dangerous or high-risk areas, where sending human persons could be hazardous. For instance, they can be deployed in conflict zones, where they can gather intelligence and provide situational awareness without putting human lives at risk. In addition, USVs can be used for mine countermeasures, detecting and neutralizing sea mines without risking the lives of personnel.

USVs are also more cost-effective than traditional manned vessels. They require fewer crew members and have lower maintenance costs, making them an attractive option for military organizations looking to maximize their budget. Moreover, because they are unmanned, they can remain on station for longer periods, conducting operations that would otherwise require a crew to rotate.

Another benefit of USVs is their ability to work in tandem with other unmanned systems, such as drones and underwater vehicles. This integrated approach allows for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to maritime operations, with multiple unmanned platforms working together to achieve common objectives.

Finally, USVs can be used for a range of other defence purposes, including intelligence gathering, coastal patrol, and search and rescue operations. They can also be equipped with weapons systems, providing a powerful and agile platform for maritime warfare.

For naval use we have USVs and UUVs, the USA is currently working on three types of unmanned vehicles for its navy they are:

1. Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSVs);
2. Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MUSVs); and
3. Extra-large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs).

Countries around the world are working on their own project of unmanned sea vehicles, some of the note-worthy vehicles are these:

Sea Hunter - Developed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Sea Hunter is a 132-foot-long unmanned surface vessel (USV) that can operate autonomously for up to 70 days. The vessel is designed for anti-submarine warfare and can be equipped with a range of sensors and weapons systems. the ship is part of the anti-submarine Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel program or ACTIVE developed under the Navy defence advanced research projects agency as far back as 2010. built by the engineering company Leidos. It is completing testing and going to be the world's largest unmanned autonomous vessel. This is being launched with numerous innovative applications and possibilities.

IVER4-900, this is being developed by L3Harris - L3Harris is a US company that produces a range of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for defence and commercial applications. These UUVs can operate autonomously and are designed for a range of tasks, including mine countermeasures, oceanographic research, and underwater inspections. One of the key features of the IVER4 900 is its modular design, which allows it to be easily customized with different mission-specific payloads. This makes it a versatile platform that can be adapted to a range of different missions, including those that require specialized sensors or instruments. This system has a long endurance capability of up to 20 hours and can cover a distance of 40 nautical miles in a single mission. This system is designed to have no shipping restrictions and uses rechargeable NiMH battery packs as a standard feature. With the optional Li-Ion battery, the system can run up to 40 hours and cover 80 nautical miles, depending on the payload and current requirements.

United States - In addition to the Sea Hunter USV mentioned earlier, the US Navy is also developing the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), which is designed for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare, and surface warfare. The US Navy is also developing the Orca Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV), which is designed for long-range missions and can be equipped with a range of payloads, including sensors and weapons systems. According to US Admiral Michael M. Gilday, it will have a secret mine-laying capability and it is the first of its kind XLUUV. He also believes that it will be one the most lethal and stealthy platforms in the arsenal of the US military. He said that around 40% of the future naval fleet will be unmanned.

China - In addition to the OceanAlpha USVs mentioned earlier, China is also developing a range of other unmanned sea vessels, including the JARI USV, China unveiled JARI-USV-A for the first time on the occasion of the NAVDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The JARI-USV-A has a variety of armaments such as machine guns, ship-to-ship missiles, rocket shells, and ship-to-air missiles, which gives it the capability to engage targets on land, air, and water surfaces. It is also capable of carrying anti-submarine payloads and attacking underwater targets with the aid of rocket-assisted torpedoes and torpedoes launched from tubes.

United Kingdom - The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is developing the MAST-13 USV, which is designed for mine countermeasures and can operate autonomously for up to 10 days. The UK is also developing a range of unmanned underwater vehicles, including the Remus 100 and Remus 600, which are used for mine countermeasures and underwater surveys. These are light and compact AUVs designed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Europe- The SLAM-F program, which stands for Future Mine Warfare System in French (Systeme de lutte anti-mines futur; SLAM-F), was developed through a collaboration between several organizations. These include Thales, a defence technology firm, OCCAR, a European intergovernmental organisation, ECA, a French robotics manufacturer, and L3Harris, a UK unmanned systems specialist. The main component of the system is a 12-metre-long USV named Artemis. It is part of a complete system that also consists of a towed synthetic aperture sonar, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and an operations centre housed in a pair of six-metre containers. During operations, two USVs will be deployed together, with one carrying the towed sonar and the other equipped with the ROV and UAVs. The smaller unmanned vehicles will also have their mine detection sensors.

In conclusion, unmanned sea vehicles (USVs) are revolutionizing the way military operations are conducted at sea, providing numerous advantages over traditional manned vessels. These autonomous or remotely controlled vehicles are cost-effective, can operate in high-risk areas, and work in tandem with other unmanned systems. Several countries around the world, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Japan, are investing in the development of USVs for defence purposes. The use of USVs for naval applications, such as mine countermeasures, intelligence gathering, coastal patrol, and search and rescue operations, is growing and will continue to do so in the future, providing a powerful and agile platform for maritime warfare. collaborations among countries and companies could help expedite the development of autonomous sea vehicles for defence purposes. By pooling resources and expertise, partners could tackle technological challenges and reduce the costs and time associated with research and development. Moreover, collaborations could lead to a sharing of best practices and lessons learned, as well as create economies of scale that could benefit all parties involved.

Image Courtesy: Yulya Korban at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)