Description

The Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel (OUSV) is a prototype effort owned by the Navy’s Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) and employed to inform the technical development of future Unmanned Surface Vessel programs. The OUSVs are operated by Navy contractors along with Surface Development Group ONE (SURFDEVGRU 1) and Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron ONE (USVRON 1) to develop Concepts of Operations and Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for future USVs in addition to furthering Fleet integration of unmanned assets. The OUSV program supports Navy Distributed Maritime Operations through the development and fielding of high-endurance, reconfigurable vehicles. The OUSVs will extend the operational commander’s battlespace awareness and command and control capability, with the potential to incorporate future payloads.

The OUSVs are designed to conduct a variety of naval warfare operations independently or in conjunction with manned surface combatants. These vessels integrated with the Fleet during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise in 2022 and Integrated Battle Problem 23.2, in which the OUSVs deployed to the Western Pacific, including Japan and Australia, and participated alongside the Royal Australian Navy as part of the multi-domain exercise Autonomous Warrior.

In FY25, the Navy introduced the Modular Surface Attack Craft (MASC) concept that merges Medium and Large USV capabilities into one streamlined platform, enabling more operational flexibility at lower costs. As with the OUSV program, MASC will continue efforts in USV prototyping and testing which are essential to continued advancements in unmanned maritime technology and risk reduction for future USV platforms.

Prototypes:

Nomad (OUSV 1) - retired

Ranger (OUSV 2) - Port Hueneme, California

Vanguard (OUSV 3) – under construction

Mariner (OUSV 4) - Port Hueneme, California

Technical Facts

Overlord prototypes are approximately 591-meters-long (~194’), 673-metric-ton displacement vessels at full load.