The U.S. Navy continues its push for unmanned systems with a new RFI published last month, seeking information on the potential procurement of seven MUSVs within the next two years, marking a shift in U.S. Navy interest in the MUSV platform and a definite timeline for the contract-to-delivery period if the RFI moves forward, Naval News reports.
The RFI, issued mid-June, lays out a 12 month period from contract award to initial deliveries for test and evaluation, with a total of seven ships delivered in a 24 month period.
A clean-sheet design is not acceptable, with options instead focused on “existing proven designs with only minor modifications, or even converting existing U.S.-built vessels”, according to the RFI.
Requiring a 12 month period means little to no design changes from a base concept, making existing MUSV concepts or potential unmanned conversions a requirement to bid.
Companies like L3Harris, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Swiftships, and Austal USA are front running contenders for the rapid acquisition goals the RFI sets out. With previous designs for MUSVs and significant experience in the field, multiple contenders are on the table for a highly competitive contract if the U.S. Navy chooses to move forward.
“That is why the Navy is expanding and developing a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs), and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that will play key roles as we shift our focus toward smaller platforms that operate in a more dispersed manner.”
The Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office is specifically interested in vessels less than 200 feet in length and under 500 tons in displacement. Payloads could include equipment for ISR, space for the U.S. Navy’s Mark 70 Payload Delivery System (PDS), flight deck space for unmanned aircraft operations, or a combination of all three.
MUSV requirements are back on the table for the U.S. Navy now that Ghost Fleet Overlord is shuttered, and the dispersed capabilities that a MUSV design could offer—from any one of the multiple potential vendors—are a step in the right direction for the U.S. Navy’s vision of dispersed operations.
