Effectiveness of unmanned surface vehicles in anti-submarine warfare with the goal of protecting a high value unit

Abstract

Littoral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations generally focus on deterring and eliminating enemy diesel-electric submarines from transit routes and protecting High Value Units (HVUs), such as amphibious warfare ships and logistics ships. In view of the ASW challenges in the littorals, it is critical to establish and maintain a highly effective ASW capability. The ASW techniques that we use today are mostly effective, but it is important to explore new technologies and techniques—such as potential unmanned surface vehicle (USV) solutions. This study uses an agent-based simulation platform known as Map Aware Non-Uniform Automata (MANA) to model the ASW effectiveness of USVs with the goal of protecting a HVU. The effectiveness of an ASW screen formation is measured by the proportion of successful classifications. The results are analyzed using comparison methods, stepwise linear regression, and regression trees. It is found from nearly 390,000 simulated ASW missions that when helicopters are replaced with USVs, which have the same sensor type and capability, they can provide the same classification effectiveness in an ASW screen formation. The analysis also shows that the most significant characteristic of USVs is the classification range of their dipping sonar.