U.S. Navy Employment Options for UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES (Usvs)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that EDUCATION AND THE ARTS helps improve policy and decisionmaking through ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT research and analysis. HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE This electronic document was made available from INFRASTRUCTURE AND www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND TRANSPORTATION Corporation. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Support RAND Purchase this document TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY Browse Reports & Bookstore Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND National Defense Research Institute View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non-RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This report is part of the RAND Corporation research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for re- search quality and objectivity. U.S. Navy Employment Options for UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES (USVs) Scott Savitz, Irv Blickstein, Peter Buryk, Robert W. Button, Paul DeLuca, James Dryden, Jason Mastbaum, Jan Osburg, Phillip Padilla, Amy Potter, Carter C. Price, Lloyd Thrall, Susan K. Woodward, Roland J. Yardley, John M. Yurchak C O R P O R A T I O N NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH INSTITUTE U.S. Navy Employment Options for UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES (USVs) Scott Savitz, Irv Blickstein, Peter Buryk, Robert W. Button, Paul DeLuca, James Dryden, Jason Mastbaum, Jan Osburg, Phillip Padilla, Amy Potter, Carter C. Price, Lloyd Thrall, Susan K. Woodward, Roland J. Yardley, John M. Yurchak Prepared for the United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution unlimited This research was sponsored by the Assessment Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N81) and conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community. Library of Congress Control Number: 2013951904 ISBN: 978-0-8330-8143-8 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND—make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute.html R® is a registered trademark Cover images by DefenseImagery.mil and Antique Maps/Planet Art Cover design by Tanya Maiboroda © Copyright 2013 RAND Corporation This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND documents to a non-RAND website is prohibited. RAND documents are protected under copyright law. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see the RAND permissions page (www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.html). RAND OFFICES SANTA MONICA, CA • WASHINGTON, DC PITTSBURGH, PA • NEW ORLEANS, LA • JACKSON, MS • BOSTON, MA DOHA, QA • CAMBRIDGE, UK • BRUSSELS, BE www.rand.org Preface In recent years, unmanned vehicles have become increasingly impor- tant for military operations. However, there has been relatively little focus on or operational employment of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)—that is, uninhabited maritime vessels. The purpose of our research was to analyze how, in what contexts, and to what extent the U.S. Navy can employ USVs. This report identifies the U.S. Navy mis- sions and functions for which USVs are suitable while also highlighting operational issues and technological and programmatic requirements that should be considered to ensure that USVs are effectively integrated into naval operations. This research was sponsored by the Assessment Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N81) and conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intel- ligence Community. For more information on the RAND Acquisition and Technol- ogy Policy Center, see http://www.rand.org/nsrd/ndri/centers/atp.html or contact the director (contact information is provided on the web page). iii Contents Preface ............................................................................. iii Figures ............................................................................. ix Tables .............................................................................. xi Summary .........................................................................xiii Acknowledgments ............................................................ xxxi Abbreviations ................................................................. xxxiii CHaptER ONE Introduction ....................................................................... 1 Scope of This Report ............................................................... 2 Research Objectives and Approach .............................................. 3 Organization of This Report ...................................................... 6 CHaptER TWO The USV Marketplace Is Vigorous but Narrow ............................. 7 The Current USV Market ......................................................... 8 The Current USV Marketplace Focuses on Relatively Few Categories of Applications ................................................. 8 Current Civilian USVs Tend to Have More Diverse Missions Than Current Naval USVs .......................................................10 USVs Are Primarily Manufactured in the United States and in Friendly Nations ........................................................11 Current USVs Are Relatively Small ...........................................12 The Emerging USV Marketplace Primarily Consists of Small USVs with Limited Endurance, Payloads, and Power Output .................13 v vi U.S. Navy Employment Options for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) The Nature of the Current and Emerging USV Marketplaces Influences U.S. Navy Acquisition Options ...............................15 CHaptER THREE Developing and Evaluating USV Concepts of Employment .............17 Categories of Naval Missions ...................................................17 C4ISR Missions .................................................................18 Offensive Missions ..............................................................18 Defensive Missions..............................................................18 Non-Mission Functions ........................................................19 Concepts of Employment ........................................................19 Evaluation Criteria ............................................................... 23 USV Comparisons with Competing Platforms ............................ 28 Technological Maturity of USV Capabilities for Specific Concepts of Employment .................................................. 30 CHaptER FOUR USVs Are Highly Suitable for Diverse Naval Missions ...................31 Nearly Half of the Missions and Functions Evaluated Are Highly Suitable for USV Employment ....................................31 USVs Could Enhance Cross-Domain Integration, Overcome Anti-Access and Area Denial Threats, and Facilitate Technology Transfer Across Manned and Unmanned Systems ......39 CHaptER FivE Capitalizing on the Potential of USVs: Key Enablers .................... 43 Advances in Autonomy and Assured Communications Are Path-Critical for Complex Missions and Environments ................ 43 Launch, Recovery, and Underway Refueling Capabilities Need to Be Further Advanced ..............................................49 Modular Payloads and Common USV Platforms Could Enhance USV Suitability ...............................................................49 Optional Manning Could Enhance USV Capabilities and Mitigate Autonomy Challenges ......................................................52 Long Endurance Is Singularly Important for USVs ..........................53 CHaptER SIX Contents vii Program Sponsorship and Acquisition Management Challenges .....55 CHaptER SEVEN Conclusions and Recommendations .........................................59 Recommendations