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Unmanned surface vehicles for naval warfare and maritime security

Alberto Boretti https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3374-0238 [email protected]View all authors and affiliations
Volume 23, Issue 2
https://doi.org/10.1177/15485129241283056

Abstract

There is a growing need to implement maritime defensive systems, covering both medium-range and close-in defenses. This is in response to the escalating threat posed by unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in a rapidly changing environment. As unmanned technologies become more widespread and advanced, the proactive deployment of these defensive measures is becoming imperative. This strategic approach aims to reduce risks, protect vital assets, and bolster the Navy’s flexibility in adapting to the evolving dynamics of contemporary naval warfare. This initiative aligns with broader goals of upholding maritime security and contributing to regional stability amid rapidly shifting conditions in warfare. This perspective covers the relevant aspects of USV development, and the countermeasures being considered.

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Biographies

Alberto Boretti, PhD, is an independent scientist. He completed his MSc in mechanical engineering in 1984 and his PhD in energy engineering in 1988. He has been a senior researcher and manager of applied research within the automotive industry for 18 years, and then for 16 years’ senior research fellow, associate professor, professor, head of department, and dean, within Universities in Australia, the United States, and The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries. He retired in 2022 as Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, but continues self-funded research. In Scopus by Elsevier, Albert has 514 papers, 97% single, first or last author, mostly in engineering, physics, and chemistry, and an h-index of 41. He is listed by Stanford University and Elsevier in between the top 2% researchers’ single year and researchers’ career.
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