WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has announced plans to procure 30 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs) following the successful conclusion of Phase I at-sea prototype testing. Grounded in the service’s Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) strategy, the Navy awarded Production Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements to three defense shipbuilders and autonomous technology vendors: Galliano Marine Services (Edison Chouest Offshore), HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries), and Saronic Technologies.
Each of the three production OTA agreements encompasses the delivery of 10 MUSVs at an average unit procurement cost of $40 million, establishing an aggregate procurement program value of $1.2 billion. Initial vessel deliveries under the production framework are scheduled to commence prior to the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2027. During Phase I at-sea trials involving seven competing contractors, testing validated core autonomous competencies, including multi-spectral environment perception, long-duration operational endurance, and autonomous navigation compliant with International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS).
Additionally, prototype vendors Leidos, PAC MAR, and Sea Machines fulfilled their prototype agreements and received $15 million milestone completion awards. All three firms have been onboarded to the DoD’s Drones.mil Maritime Marketplace, granting them eligibility for follow-on production contracts across the Department of Defense. Following these results, the Navy issued a Phase II Integration and Testing Call for Solutions (CFS) on September 23 to expand mission payload integration and broaden acquisition pathways for future MUSV fleet capabilities.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: U.S. NAVY MEDIUM UNMANNED SURFACE VESSEL (MUSV)
* System Classification: Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) / Autonomous Ocean-Going Surface Combatant Platform
* Customer & Acquisition Authority: U.S. Navy (Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants)
* Production OTA Awardees: Galliano Marine Services, HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries), Saronic Technologies
* Procurement Scope & Economics:
* Total Fleet Volume: 30 vessels (10 units per vendor)
* Average Unit Procurement Cost: ~$40 million per vessel
* Aggregate Program Value: ~$1.2 billion total procurement
* Delivery Schedule: Initial vessel deliveries slated before end of FY2027
* Marketplace Qualified Prototype Vendors: Leidos, PAC MAR, Sea Machines ($15 million completion awards; onboarded to Drones.mil Maritime Marketplace)
* Vessel Dimensions & Structural Architecture:
* Length Class: ~45 to 60 meters (147 to 196 feet)
* Hull Type: High-endurance commercial/monohull or specialized stealth-catamaran configurations
* Construction: Steel and marine-grade aluminum composite architecture engineered for low-maintenance autonomous operation
* Powerplant & Endurance Envelope:
* Propulsion: Modular diesel-electric hybrid or high-efficiency marine diesel engines
* Cruise Speed: 15–20 knots | Maximum Velocity: >25 knots
* Mission Endurance: Multi-week continuous uncrewed blue-water deployment (~4,500+ nautical miles operational range)
* Autonomy, Sensing & Command Architecture:
* Collision Avoidance: COLREGS-compliant autonomous navigation processing engine
* Sensor Integration: 3D surface search radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) optronics turret, Automatic Identification System (AIS), and LiDAR arrays
* C4I & Communications: Secure Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) satellite communications (SATCOM), tactical data links, and resilient cyber-hardened command controls
* Primary Operational Roles: Distributed ISR, electronic warfare (EW) relay node, communications gateway, fleet screening, and modular surface payload deployment
