The US Navy has awarded contracts totaling $41,985,112 to six companies for large unmanned surface vessel (LUSV) studies. The US Navy is expected to use these studies for detailed design and construction of additional unmanned vessels.
The firm-fixed price contracts were granted to Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Gibbs & Cox and Austal USA.
Each company will receive nearly $7 million for conceptual design work over the next year.
Each contract includes an option for engineering support that if exercised would bring the cumulative value for all awards to $59,476,146.
As explained, the contracts were established in order to refine specifications and requirements for a large unmanned surface vessel and conduct reliability studies informed by industry partners with potential solutions prior to competition of a detail design and construction contract.
“These studies contracts will allow the navy to harvest the learning from our land- and sea-based prototyping efforts and work directly with industry to refine the requirements for an affordable, reliable, and effective large unmanned surface vessel and reduce risk for a future design and construction competition,” said Capt. Pete Small , program manager, Unmanned Maritime Systems (PMS 406), within the Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants at Naval Sea Systems Command.
The LUSV program supports the US Navy’s Future Surface Combatant Force architecture through the development and fielding of low-cost, high-endurance, unmanned vehicles that complement manned surface combatants.