Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USSV's) are crucial components in enhancing the effectiveness of the battle force by being rapidly configurable and deployable to carry out a variety of potentially hazardous missions without the cost or risk to life of sending a manned vessel.

The use of autonomous USSVs will result in the following benefits: 1) decreased operator workload, 2) increased personnel safety due to operation without manual operators (especially for hazardous and high state conditions), 3) robust and stealthy and higher reliability operations because of reduced communications requirements, and 4) enhanced operational range due to the on-board obstacle avoidance system.