USV Ranger and Mariner at HMAS Waterhen
Four U.S Navy (USN) Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) arrived in Sydney, Australia, on October 24th following stops in Japan, Guam, the Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea. USVs Ranger, Mariner, Seahawk and Sea Hunter are currently deployed to the U.S 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) as part of Integrated Battle Problem (IBP) 23.2.
Ben Felton 09 Nov 2023
The four USVs, which make up Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One, were accompanied to Sydney by the Independence variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Oakland (LCS-24) and a chartered crew boat.
Commander Jerry Daley, Commanding officer of Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One, told Naval News that their visit to Australia was partially a result of an invitation from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to take part in Exercise Autonomous Warrior 2023.
The USVs, plus USS Oakland, were the largest vessels of their respective classes to yet take part in the landmark RAN exercise which brings together many countries, companies and units to push the limits of unmanned and autonomous systems.
Different Vessels in the Unmanned Surface Vessel Division
While all four USVs are different, they can be broadly split into two types; Sea Hunter-type trimaran platforms and Ranger-type conventional vessels. While the former were designed from the ground up to support unmanned operation, the latter were modified later in life for that purpose.
Within both groups there are also a number of differences between the vessels. Mariner, for example, has a number of systems installed internally that have to be carried externally in containers aboard Ranger. Similarly, Seahawk has a more sophisticated rail system for handling containers than its predecessor Sea Hunter.
Mariner, which is the newest of the four USVs, is also the only vessel in the group equipped with an autonomy system developed by L3 Harris, rather than Leidos.
Because of these differences each vessel has been putting different concepts to the test during IBP 23.2.
Sea Hawk and Sea Hunter, for example, have been working closely with USS Oakland to demonstrate how crewed vessels can operate as “Afloat Control Units (ACU)” for USVs with minimal modification.
During one test, CDR Daley said, a crew of six personnel from Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One embarked aboard USS Oakland and controlled the two USVs from Oakland’s Combat Information Centre (CIC). This, he said, required only the addition of several boxes of hardware which were assembled in the CIC.
Mariner and Ranger, meanwhile, have been testing more advanced autonomy features under the supervision of a civilian crew which is under orders to observe, but not interfere unless absolutely necessary. The two vessels have also been testing not just autonomy but various Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) payloads which are mounted in containers aft. While the USN declined to discuss the details of the payloads, Naval News understands that they include radars, communication systems and other ISR tools.
Sea Hunter Undergoing Maintenance in Australia
The deployment, however, has not gone off without a hitch. Shortly after arriving in Australia from its trans-oceanic voyage, Sea Hunter sustained damage that necessitated an unplanned drydocking at HMAS Kuttabul.
USV Mariner has also looked better, with paint missing from the forward hull, though Naval News understands that that is the responsibility of the relevant civilian contractor rather than the USN.
