Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators | United States Navy |
| Cost | $250 million |
| Planned | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fleet |
| Type | Unmanned surface vehicle |
| Displacement | 2,000 t (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) |
| Length | 300 ft (91 m) |
| Range | 3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km) |
The Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) or the Large Optionally-Crewed Surface Vessel in the Australian context is an unmanned surface vessel designed for the United States Navy and set to begin construction in 2020. Designed to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships based on commercial designs, they will have the capacity for modular payloads such as anti-ship, anti-submarine or anti-air weapons. Capable of operating with human operators in the loop, the Navy envisions the ships operating alongside fleets as scouts and magazine ships.[1]
$209.2 million of funding for the initial two LUSVs, set to begin construction in 2020, was included in the 2020 Defense Appropriations Bill, with plans to buy eight more over the five-year projection known as the Future Years Defense Program.[2]
As of September 2023 the US Navy budget submission for financial year (FY) 2024 planned for one LUSV to be procured in FY2025, two in FY 2026, and three each in FY2027 and 2028, at costs of around US$250 million each.[3]
Australia decided to procure 6 of these vessels based on the American LUSV design following the Australian Surface Fleet Review
Australian export
[edit]| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Australian Marine Complex[4] |
| Operators | Royal Australian Navy |
| Cost | TBA |
| In service | Mid-2030s |
| Planned | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Optionally-crewed missile vessel |
| Displacement | 2,000 t (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) |
| Length | 300 ft (91 m) |
| Range | 3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km) |
| Complement | Optionally-crewed |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | To be equipped with Aegis Combat System Baseline 9, allowing for Ballistic missile defence |
In the 2024 Australian Surface Fleet Review, the government accepted the recommendation to acquire 6 "Large Optionally-Crewed Surface Vessels" based on the American design.[5]
These vessels are intended to act as missile boats, equipped with Aegis Baseline 9 potentially allowing for ballistic missile defence.[6] They will also be equipped with 32 MK-41 strike-length VLS cells, allowing for usage of Tomahawk missiles, SM-2[disambiguation needed], SM-6, ESSM, as well as SM-3 if Australia acquires it.[6]
They will be optionally-crewed, however the government does plan to crew them; with all 6 slated for construction at the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia.[7]
Australia is yet to officially place an order to the United States for the vessels.
| Unmanned surface vehicle |
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| Topics |
| Related topics |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ O'Rourke, Ronald. "Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Larter, David. "The US Navy gets its large unmanned surface vessels in 2020 with strings attached". Defence News. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Report on Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles". USNI News. 7 September 2023.
- ^ https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2024-02-20/navys-enhanced-lethality-surface-combatant-fleet
- ^ Garman, Liam (20 February 2024). "'Optionally crewed' vessels provide VLS firepower for Tier 1 combatants". www.defenceconnect.com.au. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (20 February 2024). "Australia To Bet Big On Heavily Armed, Optionally Crewed Warships". The War Zone. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Hellyer, Marcus (21 February 2024). "Doubling down: The Navy's new surface fleet plan by the numbers". Strategic Analysis Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2025.