The Department of Defense has started soliciting proposals for low-cost small and medium unmanned underwater vehicles.
The Defense Innovation Unit said the UUVs are intended to enhance operational capabilities in subsea and seabed warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and expeditionary warfare domains.
Kinetic Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
The DOD aims to develop a kinetic UUV by integrating existing government payloads with industry-provided platforms to achieve the required kinetic effects. The proposed one-way attack UUV will utilize surface or housed subsurface host vehicles with dimensions compatible with current deployment packages, handling, storage and transportation elements. In addition, the likely uncrewed vessel should be capable of deploying from a government-provided platform or pier and delivering a payload with speed and endurance.
Submarine-Launched UUVs
The DOD also intends to develop UUVs that can be launched from submarine torpedo tubes and recovered without divers. These uncrewed vehicles will be designed to operate for at least two days or 120 nautical miles with a payload. The UUV should support various communication pathways and long-range navigation, while compliance with unmanned maritime autonomy architecture is also expected.
Interested contractors have until July 24 to submit their responses.
