b'Partner News Winter 2023 33Corporatecould form the front-line fleet, minimisingIn non-warfare scenarios, LUSVs can behumans directly onboard the vessels, risk of detection, whilst gathering valuableutilised in critical infrastructure works.personnel safety is no longer a concern data and sharing it with both shore-basedUndersea cables carrying $10 trillion dailyand financial costs are greatly reduced. control centres and other assets. in financial transactions need to undergoNot only through reducing the overhead of regular maintenance and be protected frompaying crew members, but also the LUSVs In the same manner, LUSVs can provideany external threats. LUSVs are the idealcan be reduced in size and feature fewer early warning for incoming air threats tovessels to undertake this activity, savingancillary systems on board due to the lack task forces. By positioning the LUSV closerboth time and resource of crewed vessels. of personnel to accommodate.to the threat, they can provide a shield and additional detection barrier, criticallyLUSV benefits In addition, LUSVs boast improved increasing the time for the main force toOverall, the benefits of the LUSV conceptsustainability credentials. As a smaller react. are vast. By removing the need to havevessel, there are lower carbon emissions, and the streamlined hull form provides lower resistance thus reduced energy demands. However, the greatest benefits belong to operational effectiveness. Capable of monotonous tasks which can demoralise personnel, LUSVs reduce reliance on high value, complex crewed platforms. They provide increased mass to fleets and offer wide area coverage due to its persistence and their modularity enables flexibility in payloads and roles. LUSVs produce low self-noise, low radiated noise and low emissions and are an excellent addition to a flexible, scalable fleet.As we chart this course towards the future of naval capabilities, it will be imperative that we further explore the economic viability of the LUSV to ensure a balanced and sustainable naval strategy but its fair to say that the LUSV is a credible enabler for any future blue water navy as part of a mixed fleet solution, providing a balance between operational capability and cost-effective mass.'