General Dynamics Mission Systems has received a $230 million contract modification from the US Navy for additional Hammerhead Encapsulated Effector systems.
The follow-on award covers delivery of Hammerhead systems and will run from August 2026 through late 2028, according to General Dynamics Mission Systems. Work will be performed primarily at the company’s UUV Manufacturing and Assembly Center of Excellence in Taunton, Massachusetts, with fabrication support from its facility in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Hammerhead is a moored anti-submarine mine designed to operate at intermediate and deep-water depths. The system is intended to detect, classify and engage anti-submarine warfare targets and can be deployed from unmanned underwater vehicles, according to US Navy program information.
The Navy’s Hammerhead program is managed through the Mine Warfare Program Office under Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants. The program was established to develop a maritime mine deployment system capable of providing an undersea weapon effect without requiring a conventional mine deployment platform.
General Dynamics Mission Systems received a $92.9 million Navy contract in 2022 to design, test and deliver the Hammerhead Encapsulated Effector system, including prototype articles and related equipment. The contract included options that could bring its cumulative value to more than $275.6 million.
The company subsequently received a $20.7 million contract modification in 2024 to exercise an option for additional Hammerhead systems, with work at the time scheduled for completion in June 2026.
The latest award will also support an expansion of General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Taunton workforce.