RAN MELDS UNMANNED SYSTEMS INTO NEW MODEL NAVY

The Royal Australian Navy’s new strategy for developing unmanned surface and sub-surface systems delivers both capability and capacity to support the navy’s new fleet.

-  Dr Lee Willett

Navies around the world are investing in unmanned systems, to provide short-term fixes for operations today and to grow longerterm capability and capacity to enable a more sustained operational contribution from such systems in the future.

The challenges of operating unmanned systems out of sight – for example, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) beyond the horizon or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) below the surface – has perhaps contributed to some navies’ reticence in fully embracing what unmanned systems can bring. Such reticence can also be explained by some navies having to find a financial and operational balance between investing in unmanned systems or in new manned platforms.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN), however, is one navy actively introducing unmanned systems for current and future operations, and to augment the output of its people onboard its range of new platforms. The RAN certainly intends to combine its manned navy with new unmanned kit.

Australia’s new navy is manifested in different platform types. At the centre of this new force structure are several already-operational platforms: two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships; and three Hobart-class air-warfare focused guided-missile destroyers (DDGs). These ships will be joined in the medium to longer term by: nine Hunterclass guided-missile frigates, 12 Attackclass diesel-electric submarines, and 12 Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).