Unmanned Maritime Vehicle Overview Marrying Offerings to Requirements for Unmanned Systems Still Requires Work

摘要

Navies are inherently conservative in outlook and, though attracted to new technologies and capabilities, are reluctant to commit to procurement before completing exhaustive test and evaluation processes. Full integration of unmanned vehicles with combat management systems is also an issue, though initiatives such as Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) are mitigating some of the problems. A lively debate is also under way regarding both benefits and dangers of autonomous versus remote control for unmanned systems. Initiatives such as the recent "Unmanned Warrior 2016" do much to demonstrate the possibilities that new technologies offer. MCM, for example, is an area tailor-made for robotic assistance, aimed at keeping personnel and vessels out of harm's way as far as possible. The next frontier may well be the unmanned 'system of systems' issue - using a USV as a taxi and control hub for delivering other smaller unmanned vehicles for reconnaissance, inspection or mine disruption and disposal.