Research Summaries

Back Integration of MDUSV into a Carrier/Expeditionary Strike Group

Fiscal Year 2021
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department NPS Naval Research Program
Investigator(s) Luqi, Luqi
Wood, Brian P.
Sponsor Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (Navy)
Summary The U.S. Navy is expanding its force of unmanned surface vessels including the medium displacement unmanned surface vessels (MDUSV). The integration of MDUSVs into Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Groups (C/ESGs) needs to be considered. Research Questions: 1. What missions would be best suited for MDUSVs in a C/ESG? 2. What tactics would the MDUSVs employ for those missions in a C/ESG? 3. What would be the result of employing those tactics? A three-pronged approach will be utilized: wargaming, modeling, and real-world exercises. 1. Wargaming using NPS students. The Joint Campaign Analysis (JCA) course will examine the development, use, and recent applications of campaign analysis in force structure and operations planning. The Wargaming Applications course will design, develop, conduct, analyze, and execute possible MDUSV missions. Emphasis is on formulating the problem, choosing assumptions, structuring the analysis, and measuring effectiveness to answer a DoD sponsor's real-world requirement. 2. Modeling: Attack submarines and anti-ship missiles remain the greatest threat to C/ESGs. Mathematical models will be formulated and analyzed, with attention to best placement of MDUSVs, minimizing speed requirements and effects of C/ESG motion, and whether they should carry weapons in addition to sensors. Students will carry out case studies to evaluate proposed concepts of operation. 3. Live Exercises. COMSURFDEVRON ONE will continue its partnership with NPS to examine MDUSVs in live events. We expect to find a path to realizing realistic and viable missions for MDUSVs, so that they can be included in future Navy Exercises (TW21/22, RIMPAC 2022, or at sea training events. Deliverables include a paper detailing our findings/recommendations, a poster-board display, and a final presentation to the sponsor. Students may use this effort as a basis for their master's thesis. Additional theses and real-world exercise efforts outside of FY21 are expected.
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Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal