New Wave Media

 

The fourth-generation Common Unmanned Surface Vehicles (CUSV) will be supplied by Textron Inc. business unit Textron Systems Unmanned Systems, who received the $14.8 million contract to delivery of the two CUSV in 2018.

 

The CUSV is a multi-mission unmanned surface vehicle, capable of carrying multiple payloads, including side-scan sonar, mine neutralization, nonlethal weapons and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors.

 

Under the latest contract, the two additional CUSVs will join the U.S. Navy’s first CUSV, which is designed for the influence sweeping mission. This UISS CUSV recently completed initial testing near Textron Systems Marine & Land Systems facility in Louisiana and is currently undergoing additional testing off of the east coast of the U.S.

 

“The Navy is excited to continue to work with its industry partner, Textron Systems Unmanned Systems, to continue to develop, test and deliver additional capability to the fleet with the MCM USV platform and systems,” Captain Jon Rucker, Program Manager for the Navy's Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406) said. “The craft and its associated systems will provide a modular capability that will be a key component of the Navy’s future mine countermeasures efforts.”

 

“We are pleased to see the U.S. Navy’s request for two additional vessels to support their mine countermeasure mission and are excited to be a part of the growing adoption of unmanned technologies in support of the U.S. Navy’s mission to safely secure our waters,” said Vice President of Control & Surface Systems Wayne Prender, “The inherent modularity that CUSV provides will enable the U.S. Navy to complete both mine-sweeping and mine-hunting missions from a single craft, demonstrating the CUSV system’s multi-mission capabilities and large, configurable payload bay.”