The U.S. Marine Corps has provided a fresh glimpse of a Long Range Unmanned Surface
Vessel (LRUSV) equipped with a launcher capable of carrying up to eight Hero-120 loitering munitions.
Photographs showcasing the LRUSV accompanied by the Hero-120 launcher
were recently published by Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT).
The images were captured during Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Brian Cavanaugh's visit to Joint
Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia in April. His purpose was to receive
a detailed briefing on the capabilities of this newly developed drone boat.
Metal Shark, the shipbuilder responsible for
designing the LRUSV, has additionally shared photographs from this event.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how Hero-120 loitering munitions armed LRUSV would
change the way US marines fight? Let's get into the details.
As per the plan, the Marine Corps anticipates employing the LRUSV primarily as an intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance platform.
In addition, the LRUSV will possess the capability for extended travel and the transportation of
loitering munitions, which can accurately track and eliminate targets on both land and sea.
In January 2021, Metal Shark made an announcement regarding its successful
contract bid to develop and provide LRUSVs to the Marine Corps. Since then, the company
has delivered at least one prototype LRUSV equipped with the Hero-120 launcher. However,
the exact number of LRUSVs the Marine Corps intends to procure remains uncertain.
It's worth noting that the U.S. Navy, as the parent organization of the Marine Corps
within the Department of the Navy, has also played a role in the LRUSV program.
Presently, detailed information regarding the design and capabilities of the LRUSV
is somewhat limited. According to the Marines, it is referred to as
"semi-autonomous," suggesting that it possesses the ability to execute
certain tasks independently following instructions from a human operator.
The Navy's Fiscal Year 2024 budget documents notes,
"Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV) is a Marine Corps Force Design priority that has
demonstrated, through extensive wargaming and simulations, significant operational impact in
the Naval Expeditionary Force's surface warfare campaign against peer competitors in the maritime
battlespace, particularly when operating within planned sensor and communication networks,"
The integration of the armed LRUSV provides Marines with an additional resource to engage
targets both on land and at sea, while also enhancing situational awareness.
As per US Navy's 2024 Fiscal Year budget request,
"LRUSVs, employed individually or in formations of multiple vessels... will be unmanned vessels,
capable of conducting semi-autonomous maneuvers in the open ocean for extended periods of time,"
The US Navy is requesting for around $25.25 million
in the upcoming fiscal cycle for the LRSUV.
In 2021, the Pentagon made an announcement regarding the availability of an "autonomy module"
developed under the Low-Cost Cruise Missile (LCCM) project for the Marine Corps' LRUSV program.
Metal Shark has previously stated that the LRUSV is capable of "extended autonomous travel" and can
be operated with or without a crew. Additionally, Metal Shark highlighted its compatibility with
networking capabilities, enabling integration with other unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).
At the basic level, the idea is to build ships that can not just travel from one location to
another autonomously, but also follow the rules of the sea and avoid other ships on their own.
At an advanced level, there are a lot of possible use cases.
They could act as 'Scout' to gather intelligence
regarding threats like enemy warships, 'Decoy' to shield more valuable assets,
'Electronic Warfare' platforms to jam enemy sensors, and obviously be Weapons carriers.
HERO family of loitering systems is developed by UVision based in Israel.
It is a sensor-to-shooter system used for surveillance, target acquisition,
and attack of a variety of targets in the battlefield.
The family of loitering systems supports several launch methods: from the ground
by a single soldier, from a vehicle, and from a variety of aerial and naval platforms. The
HERO flies to the target area, loiters above the point of interest, tracks, and attacks the target.
It is operated remotely and controlled in real-time by a communications system.
The HERO is equipped with an electro-optical camera whose
images are received by the command and control station.
The Marine Corps is procuring a version of the Hero-120 called the Hero-120 OPF,
which is tailored specifically for their needs. However, the precise distinctions
between the service-specific variant and the standard model are yet to be fully disclosed.
Uvision's website currently states the Hero-120 has a maximum range
of at least 37 miles or 60 km and can stay airborne for around 60 minutes. The
baseline Hero-120 also has a high-explosive warhead weighing around 10 pounds or 4.5 kg.
Hero-120s are also being made available to other Marine units in their man-portable configuration,
which consists of one of the loitering munitions loaded inside a self-contained launch tube.
Viewers may note that Marine Corps will undergo comprehensive restructuring as
per Force Design 2030 strategic guidelines. This initiative encompasses significant changes,
including the removal of the M1 Abrams tanks from the service's inventory,
and a renewed emphasis on enhancing long-range strike capabilities, among other elements.
Considering the broader operational concepts, particularly in littoral regions of the Pacific,
it is evident that a fleet of LRUSVs armed with semi-autonomous capabilities and
equipped with Hero-120s could seamlessly align with those strategic objectives.
The versatility and potential of such a configuration become apparent,
offering enhanced operational capabilities within those specific environments.
A fleet of LRUSVs would offer the flexibility
to deliver these capabilities effectively over a considerable expanse of territory.
Despite its compact size, the warhead of the Hero-120 possesses adequate potency
to neutralize a range of targets, including vehicles, exposed troops, and small boats.
Moreover, these could potentially be employed against larger offshore
vessels by targeting critical systems such as radars, communications antennas,
or other vital components, effectively impairing their ability to carry out their missions.
While Marines in cooperation with the US Navy are still exploring this,
it’s not hard to see the potential.