Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle

The Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) or the Large Optionally-Crewed Surface Vessel in the Australian context is an unmanned surface vessel designed for the United States Navy and set to begin construction in 2020. Designed to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships based on commercial designs, they will have the capacity for modular payloads such as anti-ship, anti-submarine or anti-air weapons. Capable of operating with human operators in the loop, the Navy envisions the ships operating alongside fleets as scouts and magazine ships.^[1]

Class overview
Operators	United States Navy
Cost	$250 million
Planned	10
General characteristics
Class & type	Fleet
Type	Unmanned surface vehicle
Displacement	2,000 t (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons)
Length	300 ft (91 m)
Range	3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km)

$209.2 million of funding for the initial two LUSVs, set to begin construction in 2020, was included in the 2020 Defense Appropriations Bill, with plans to buy eight more over the five-year projection known as the Future Years Defense Program.^[2]

As of September 2023 the US Navy budget submission for financial year (FY) 2024 planned for one LUSV to be procured in FY2025, two in FY 2026, and three each in FY2027 and 2028, at costs of around US$250 million each.^[3]

Australia decided to procure 6 of these vessels based on the American LUSV design following the Australian Surface Fleet Review

Australian export

Class overview
Builders	Australian Marine Complex[4]
Operators	Royal Australian Navy
Cost	TBA
In service	Mid-2030s
Planned	6
General characteristics
Type	Optionally-crewed missile vessel
Displacement	2,000 t (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons)
Length	300 ft (91 m)
Range	3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km)
Complement	Optionally-crewed
Armament	32 cell Mk-41 VLS capable of launching: Tomahawk V RIM-174 SM-6 RIM-66 SM-2 IIIC RIM-162 ESSM
Notes	To be equipped with Aegis Combat System Baseline 9, allowing for Ballistic missile defence

In the 2024 Australian Surface Fleet Review, the government accepted the recommendation to acquire 6 "Large Optionally-Crewed Surface Vessels" based on the American design.^[5]

These vessels are intended to act as missile boats, equipped with Aegis Baseline 9 potentially allowing for ballistic missile defence.^[6] They will also be equipped with 32 MK-41 strike-length VLS cells, allowing for usage of Tomahawk missiles, SM-2^{[disambiguation needed]}, SM-6, ESSM, as well as SM-3 if Australia acquires it.^[6]

They will be optionally-crewed, however the government does plan to crew them; with all 6 slated for construction at the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia.^[7]

Australia is yet to officially place an order to the United States for the vessels.

See also

• Future of the United States Navy
• Future of the Royal Australian Navy
• TRIFIC-program