The US Navy has awarded contracts totaling $41,985,112 to six companies for Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) studies. The Navy sees great potential to unmanned surface vessels which could augment its fleet in the years to come.
Each contract includes an option for engineering support that if exercised would bring the cumulative value for all awards to $59,476,146.
The move follows the award of contracts totaling $1 billion to over 40 organizations to support the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Family of Systems, in February this year.
Following a full and open competition that began with the release of a Request For Proposals in fiscal year (FY) 2019, the firm-fixed price contracts were finally awarded to Huntington Ingalls Inc., Pascagoula, Miss; Lockheed Martin Corp., Baltimore; Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, LLC., Lockport, La.; Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wis.; Gibbs & Cox Inc., Arlington, Va.; and Austal USA, LLC, Mobile, Ala.
These 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 Navy’s Future Surface Combatant Force architecture through the development and fielding of low-cost, high-endurance, unmanned vehicles that complement manned surface combatants.
