The US Navy Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406) will soon host an Industry Day to brief the Future Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) operational requirements.
According to the official announcement, the Future USV program will be “an open ocean, 25+ knot, high endurance, non-exquisite, autonomous vessel.” It will be built to commercial standards and will provide interfaces, a payload deck area, and support for 2 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU) containerized payloads, each weighing 80,000 lbs. Even if the physical dimensions of the Future USV are not specified, the requirement to hold 2 FEUs suggests it will be similar in size to the Navy USV MARINER and its sister ships, which were derived from offshore supply vessels ranging in sizes from roughly 150 to 200 feet and are considered medium-sized USVs. These are key elements of Project 33 and the CNO Navigation Plan that was released last year.
According to Rear Adm. William Daly, the Navy’s surface warfare requirements director, the USN “needs one craft that is affordable, non-exquisite, and can come off multiple production lines in an identical manner and go towards 1 of 2 payloads — either the envisioned magazine payload of the Large USV or the envisioned ISR-related Medium USV payloads.”
The goal of the Industry Day is to improve Industry’s understanding of how the Future USV will fit into the transforming surface force and push for feedback to accelerate the development and procurement of the future unmanned platform. This marks the initial phase in the Pentagon's acquisition process, initiating a competitive bidding for valuable contracts related to established programs.
(Image: the unmanned surface vessel (USV) RANGER steams alongside the USV Marine)
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