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Large Optionally-crewed Surface Vessel

From Encyc

The Large Optionally-crewed Surface Vessel is a class of naval ships being planned for the Royal Australian Navy.[1] When recommendations for the vessels were reported to the Australian cabinet, observes noted the resemblance to the US LUSV program, and, in the end, Cabinet decided the six vessels will be built to the US design.[2]

The decision to build this class is part of an initiative to double the size of Australia's fleet.[3][4]

The vessels will add to Australian squadrons the capacity to carry a greater number of large missiles.[1][2] The vessels are planned to carry 32 vertical launch tubes. The vessels will carry the same long-range missiles as Australia's other large vessels, currently the Aegis Baseline 9 system, the most recent iteration of the Aegis Combat System.[5]

Retrofitting the former HMAS Maitland

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In 2022 the de-commissioned Armidale-class Patrol Boat HMAS Maitland was acquired, and made available to Green Room Robotics, in order for it to be retrofitted to be operated autonomously.[2]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Australia Plans to Buy Unmanned Warships". The Maritime Executive. 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2025-02-08. LUSV is conceived of as a well-armed "magazine ship" about the size of an offshore supply vessel. It is intended to navigate autonomously, comply with COLREGs and keep itself running mechanically (within specified service periods). It is not intended to have an autonomous weapons package: instead, a remote, offboard human operator will have to initiate any target engagements. The model in question would have a magazine capacity of 32 vertical launch cells, the same as Australia's planned Hunter-class frigate.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gregor Ferguson (2024-05-12). "Royal Australian Navy Explores Autonomy and Optional Crewing: Eyes LUSV as Potential LOSV Solution". Second Line of Defense. Retrieved 2025-02-08. The Australian Department of Defence’s response to the Royal Australian Navy surface fleet review, Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet, published in February, announced the RAN would field six Large Optionally Manned Surface Vessels (LOSVs) from the 2030s to carry missile launch systems. Interestingly, the RAN program closely resembles a similar but far more advanced one in the United States, the US Navy’s Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) program.
  3. ↑ Kate Lyons (2024-02-20). "Australian navy overhaul to double surface fleet and add 'optionally crewed' warships". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-02-08. The government announced an additional $1.7bn over forward estimates and $11.1bn over the next decade for accelerated delivery of the surface combatant fleet and to expand Australia’s shipbuilding industry, bringing the total cost of the plan over the next 10 years to $54bn.
  4. ↑ "Navy's enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet". Defence Ministers. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2025-02-08. Today, the Albanese Government has released its blueprint for a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet for the Royal Australian Navy, more than doubling the size of the surface combatant fleet under the former government’s plan.
  5. ↑ Liam Garman (2024-02-20). "'Optionally crewed' vessels provide VLS firepower for Tier 1 combatants". Defence Connect. Retrieved 2025-02-08. They will be armed with 32 vertical launching system cells, and use the Aegis Baseline 9 system or later in keeping with the Hunter class and Hobart class destroyers post-upgrade.
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