HVU (High-Value Unit)

A high-value unit is a ship whose loss or damage would be so costly, strategically or operationally, that it warrants a protective escort formation. In naval doctrine an HVU (aircraft carrier, amphibious ship, replenishment oiler, or a critical merchant such as a laden LNG carrier or troop transport) sits at the center of a screen of escorts providing anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine defense. The concept extends to convoy practice, where escort warships shield the highest-value merchant hulls. HVU protection is the operational answer to the threat that war-risk and A2/AD environments pose.