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Navy Announces Winners of Four Mission Payload Design Prize Challenges for Expeditionary UAS Program


Jeff Brody

The U.S. Navy has named the winners of four prize challenges for mission payload design concepts as part of a program to develop a ship-based unmanned aerial system for Marine Air Group Task Forces.

The challenges under the MAGTF UAS Expeditionary program seeks data relay, airborne early warning, electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payload designs, Naval Air Systems Command said Thursday.

Companies that landed the top spot in each challenge will get $700K in prizes, while the second and third placers will each receive $200K and $100K, respectively.

MUX Data Relay Payload Prize Challenge winners:

  • First: Boeing (NYSE: BA)
  • Second: Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC)
  • Third: Cubic’s (NYSE: CUB) defense applications business

MUX ISR Payload Prize Challenge winners:

  • First: BAE Systems
  • Second: Piasecki Aircraft
  • Third: General Atomics’ aeronautical systems business

MUX EW Prize Challenge winners:

  • First: L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX)
  • Second: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
  • Third: Piasecki Aircraft

MUX Airborne Early Warning Payload Prize Challenge winners:

  • First: Telephonics
  • Second: Piasecki Aircraft
  • Third: Bell Textron / Sierra Nevada

The Marine Corps set its four technology requirements for the program in early November and expects to deploy the MUX platform in 2026.

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