Navy May Add Armed, Robotic “Mobile Fire Base” Floating Attack Drone

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

Tomahawks, torpedoes, over-the-horizon missiles, 5-inch guns and SM-3 interceptors might all integrate onto and arm a single, mobile surface drone warship … capable of merging reconnaissance missions with defensive and offensive weapons operating under human supervision.

As the Navy seeks to accelerate its “drone” explosion, the service continues to contemplate a wide range of weapons applications and operational formations for unmanned systems…..one of which could involve the creation of an armed, maritime “mobile fire base” capable of employing a wide range of sensors, countermeasures and weapons as needed in surface warfare.

“We are clearly well into the evolution of the unmanned across all domains … .air, surface and undersea – unmanned AI and distributed AI is where things are headed,” retired Maj. Gen. David Coffman, former director of Expeditionary Warfare for the Navy, and Warrior Expert Analyst and contributor, explained in a discussion about future Naval warfare.

As a retired Marine Corps commander, leader, strategist and weapons developer, Coffman was clear to emphasize he is not involved in current Navy deliberations about how to arm unmanned systems, but did talk to Warrior in a general conceptual way about the tactical and operational merits of forward positioned armed, unmanned platforms.

“A mobile fire base at sea could be supported by distributed networking capability. As long as I have a radio signal, I can use a cheap unmanned surface vehicle that can move,” Coffman explained.

LUSV as Mobile Fire Base? 

To  a large degree, the Navy’s concept of a mobile fire base aligns with its current vision for its Large Unmanned Systems Vehicle (LUSV), a large robotic warship intended to support Carrier Strike Groups and Marine Corps Expeditionary Strike Groups with forward reconnaissance, targeting and “attack” under human supervision.. Navy documents describe the LUSV, which is still amid conceptual development and requirements analysis, as an anti-submarine and “strike warfare” platform.  The Navy is now asking industry for input on configurations, weapons and sensor technologies for its LUSV.