The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.

The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.

The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.

The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.

The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.

The US Army Frank S Besson (LSV 1)-class logistics support vessel Lt Gen William B Bunker (LSV-4) approaches a slip at Waipio Point, Hawaii, on 3 June 2017. (US DoD)

US Army planners with the service's newest cross-functional teams are considering the development of a new class of small, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to handle resupply and logistics for US armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Army Colonel Shane Upton, director of the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team (CLCFT) said service leaders were exploring concepts leveraging “small autonomous vessels”, as a way to address distance challenges tied to the logistics mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The USV envisioned by the CLCFT will be one “that does not have to dock … that does not have to go to shore” for extended periods of time, Col Upton said during a briefing on the service's efforts in human-machine teaming, held during the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium.

The long loiter time being sought from the new small USV concept platform will assist in ship-to-ship logistics in the hotly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.