Textron‘s (NYSE: TXT)Â unmanned systems business will supply the U.S. Navy with its Common Unmanned Surface Vessel under a 30-month, $33.8 million contract as part of the service’s Unmanned Influence Sweep System program.
The company’s Textron Systems division said Wednesday it will design, build and qualify the unmanned vessel and associated command-and-control software for the Navy.
Bill Irby, senior vice president and general manager of Textron Systems, said the fourth-generation CUSV system has completed at least 1, 800 hours of in-water testing and features new functions as a UISS platform.
Features include a payload bay that the Navy can configure to carry multiple instruments such as a side-scanning sonar, nonlethal weapons and payloads for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The service intends to integrate CUSV into its littoral combat ship systems and utilize it to conduct influence sweeps of magnetic and acoustic naval mines, Textron said.
Textron Systems partnered with its marine and land systems segment and Advanced Acoustic Concepts for this contract.
