The U.S. Navy has announced plans to procure 30 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs) following the completion of Phase I at-sea testing, marking a significant milestone in the program and underscoring the Department of the Navy’s commitment to delivering asymmetric capabilities to fleet forces and addressing emerging maritime threats.
Under the procurement plan, three companies—Saronic, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), and Galliano Marine Services—will each build 10 MUSVs. The vessels are expected to cost approximately $40 million per hull on average, according to Chris Miller, the Navy’s acting direct-reporting portfolio manager for robotic and autonomous systems, who disclosed the details during a virtual media roundtable.
The Navy awarded the contracts using Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, but did not publicly disclose the individual contract values awarded to each company. A Navy news release characterized the approximately $40 million figure as the average cost per vessel across the procurement. Funding for the acquisition is being provided through the congressional reconciliation legislation commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in 2025.
The initial MUSVs are expected to be delivered to the Navy before the end of Fiscal Year 2027, accelerating the transition of the program from prototype development and operational testing toward an initial fleet capability.
Source: Defense Updates
