The US Navy has selected three contractors to build 30 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs), following the successful completion of Phase I at-sea testing, with US Acting Secretary Navy Hung Cao urging industry to deliver at pace.
The service announced on 29 September that it had awarded production contracts to Galliano Marine Services, HII, and Saronic Technologies.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Under the programme, HII is supplying vessels from its ROMULUS family, and Saronic Technologies is advancing its proprietary Marauder design, while the exact vessel configuration for Galliano Marine Services has not yet been publicly identified.
Each company will supply 10 vessels, with an average unit cost of $40m. The first vessels are scheduled for delivery by the end of fiscal year 2027.
The awards follow an at-sea trial phase in which candidate MUSVs were evaluated on their autonomous navigation capabilities, situational awareness of the maritime environment, ability to operate in accordance with international collision regulations, and performance over extended missions.
The US Navy stated that the vessels demonstrated a capacity to perform core functions required for future operational use.
The procurement was executed via Production Other Transaction Authority agreements, a contracting method which the US Navy said allowed for faster acquisition.
US Navy Acting Secretary Hung Cao said: “Our warfighters don’t have time to wait on bureaucracy while our adversaries pace forward. Our message to the defence industrial base is simple: build fast, deliver on time, and match the urgency of the threat.”
Additionally, Leidos, PAC MAR, and Sea Machines, which participated in the prototype phase, have each received a $15m award, having fulfilled their agreements’ terms.
These companies, alongside the production awardees, are now listed on the Drones.mil-hosted Maritime Marketplace and are eligible for further production opportunities from other authorised acquisition bodies.
The US Navy also launched a new Call for Solutions under MUSV Phase II on 23 September, aiming to broaden its acquisition pipeline through the Maritime Marketplace and ensure a wider range of mission capabilities in subsequent procurement rounds.
The Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle described the MUSV acquisition as an element of the US Navy’s “hedge strategy,” providing commanders with flexible, scalable assets.
“MUSVs give us a platform for rapidly integrating new sensors, weapons, and other mission payloads as technology and operational requirements change. This is about moving beyond experimentation and putting reliable, combat-relevant capability into the hands of our sailors at the speed the fleet requires,” Caudle stated.
The Direct Reporting Program Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) has been tasked with accelerating the fielding of the MUSVs, in coordination with the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Centre.
This partnership will leverage the Navy’s Containerised Capability Campaign to enable the rapid integration of diverse sensors, autonomous systems, and mission payloads, aiming to align operational capability with evolving mission requirements.
The production OTA agreements follow the Navy’s decision in July to advance seven companies to at-sea testing under the MUSV Family of Systems programme.
