A Methodological Approach to Defining Seakeeping Performance Criteria for Unmanned Surface Vessel

In response to the evolving nature of future naval warfare, the Navy is pursuing a strategic plan to enhance its existing manned forces and secure a range of unmanned surface vehicle (USV) assets designed for mission-specific operations. This initiative aims to strengthen operational capabilities and establish maritime superiority in future battlefields through the integration of manned and unmanned forces. USV is expected to operate independently in harsh maritime environments or conduct joint missions in coordination with manned ships, thereby expanding the Navy’s operational flexibility and effectiveness in multi-domain maritime operations. Under such circumstances, USV is expected to be at a disadvantage in terms of seakeeping performance compared to larger and more capable manned ships. Therefore, greater attention should be directed toward the design and improvement of seakeeping performance during the development phase. Consequently, a preliminary examination of methods for establishing seakeeping performance criteria—which serve as the foundation for seakeeping-oriented design of USV is considered necessary. This paper aims to propose a method for establishing seakeeping performance criteria for USV to ensure their effective operation in harsh maritime environments. The main content includes a comparative and analytical review of seakeeping performance data for various vessels, including manned ships, to develop a procedure suitable for USV. As a case study, a 7-meter-class USV was used to establish preliminary seakeeping criteria and to validate them through model tests.