Navy Issues Request for Proposals for Medium-Displacement USV

Sea Hunter, a test vehicle, pulls into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, last October. The Navy has issued an RFP for a medium unmanned surface vehicle (MUSV). U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Corwin M. Colbert

WASHINGTON — The Navy has issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) to the defense industry for the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV), a vessel planned to be part of its Future Fleet concept.

The RFP, posted on the FedBizOps.gov website July 16 by Naval Sea Systems Command, calls for proposals for the MUSV, which “will be a pier-launched, self-deploying modular, open architecture, surface vessel capable of autonomous safe navigation and mission execution.”

The Navy is expected to field the MUSV along with a Large USV as adjuncts to its Future Surface fleet that will include the Future Surface Combatant and the new FFG(X) guided-missile frigate as well as Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and the Independence- and Freedom-class littoral combat ships. The Navy is experimenting with the San Diego-bases Sea Hunter medium-displacement trimaran USV, built by Leidos, testing its autonomous navigation capabilities and its effectiveness with various sensor and other mission systems. A second Sea Hunter is being built by Leidos for the Navy.