US-based science and technology company Leidos has been selected to design and deliver a medium-size uncrewed undersea vehicle (MUUV) for the US Navy.
The single award cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has been awarded by the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
It has an estimated ceiling value of $358m if all options are being exercised.
Leidos C4ISR Solutions senior vice-president Mike Rickels said: “Our decades of experience fielding uncrewed technology coupled with our familiarity with the ever-changing needs of the fleet, enables us to provide this critical capability to our warfighters at speed and scale.
“We look forward to building upon our long-standing relationship with the navy and supporting their critical national security mission.”
The company will primarily carry out the related work in Lynnwood, Washington.
Once developed, Leidos’ MUUV will provide support to the US Navy for the intelligence preparation of the operational environment, through submarine-based autonomous oceanographic sensing and data collection.
In addition, the medium UUV will deliver surface-launched and recovered mine countermeasures capabilities to the naval fleet.
The company will work together with several other industry partners, including L3Harris Technologies, to design and develop this technology.
L3Harris Maritime president Rosemary Chapdelaine said: “This partnership with the Leidos team provides the US Navy with an advanced, agile uncrewed undersea vehicle system that leverages our proven Iver technology.
“The Leidos and L3Harris team successfully recovered AUVs through a submarine torpedo tube and we’re excited to bring this dynamic launch and recovery capability to real-world missions.”
Last year in April, Leidos handed over a medium-displacement uncrewed surface vehicle (MDUSV), called Seahawk, to the US Navy.
