Navy Initiates Phase II of Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel Program, Invites Innovative Solutions

WASHINGTON — The Navy is entering a new phase of integrating and testing medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSV) and is seeking innovative solutions for its online marketplace of unmanned systems.

The Navy stated in a solicitation notice released on September 23 that MUSV employs modular design to provide adaptable, resilient solutions capable of countering emerging threats. It invites firms with expertise in innovative problem solving, vessel construction, autonomy, perception systems, and maritime operations to apply. Vendors will be assessed on platform maturity, open-architecture autonomy compatibility, endurance, payload integration capacity, and rapid-production scalability.

Specifically, the Navy requires vessels capable of at least ten days of continuous unmanned operation, a payload capacity of at least two standard 20‑foot containers, and a length not exceeding 90 meters, per the notice. Earlier guidance for Phase I required submissions to accommodate at least two 40‑foot containers.

Vendors whose proposals are accepted will conduct a sea demonstration, during which the vessel will be assessed on sustained speed, maneuverability, fuel consumption, and related performance metrics.

Approved platforms will be listed on the maritime marketplace website, enabling the Pentagon to swiftly configure and issue funded delivery orders for vetted autonomous maritime systems, eliminating duplicate procurement cycles.

The notice notes that this open call enables new entrants to compete and allows existing vendors to submit updated product modules and modular payload configurations.

In March, the Navy announced plans for an MUSV Marketplace as part of a new procurement approach to acquire production‑ready, mission‑capable platforms already in existence. Navy officials described the marketplace as the initial phase of a recurring marketplace.

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