UNMANNED SURFACE LOGISTICS CONCEPT OF SUPPORT

The purpose of the Navy Supply Corps is to manage the logistical pipeline, so resources are delivered to the warfighter as required. Naval units are easily able to replenish their stores while they are in port, but difficulties arise when they get underway to conduct missions and training exercises. The use of unmanned systems introduces a new naval unit class with many beneficial characteristics, including autonomous control for which minimal human supervision is required, reliability demonstrated by COLREGS, and spacious cargo transportability evidenced by enough topside space for a 20-ft. ISO container. This thesis seeks to identify key influential factors and provide useful insights to logistically support naval readiness and the naval units’ continued ability to complete their missions. Modeling and analytical innovations used in this research include implementation of a discrete event simulation program, use of design of experiments, and sophisticated statistical analysis. Results from the analysis indicate that the rate of new requests, USVs’ top speed, and number of USVs have the most impact on turnaround times for both mission duration and request fulfillment. Properly utilized, USVs can be a strong contributor to the success of U.S. Navy missions.http://archive.org/details/unmannedsurfacel1094562270Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited