- Each entry must pair a mature unmanned surface vessel with at least two drones able to strike and return a battle damage assessment
- The vessel needs at least a 200-nautical-mile reach and a minimum of 10-knot cruise speed
- DIU has set aside a separate $200 million for follow-on prototyping or production deals
The Defense Innovation Unit is offering up to $100 million to companies that can field unmanned surface vessels equipped with armed drones. Submissions for the first round of the Suitable Warfighting Adaptive Payloads challenge, or SWAP-USV, are due Aug. 10, DIU said.
The agency framed the effort around cost. Adversaries deploy cheap, low-signature threats, including explosive USVs, small drones, smuggling boats and semi-submersibles, and the Department of War currently answers them with naval and aviation assets costing millions apiece. The agency wants that exchange rate to shift.
What Is DIU Looking for in SWAP-USV?
Each submission must pair a mature unmanned surface vessel with at least two mature aerial drones. Together, those drones need to deliver a kinetic strike with a payload of at least 2 kilograms and return a battle damage assessment. DIU wants a mix of recoverable aircraft and one-way attack types.
The vessel must have a minimum operational reach of 200 nautical miles and maintain a sustained cruise speed of at least 10 knots. DIU set those as thresholds rather than targets and said it expects strong entries to substantially exceed them. Vessels must operate in blue water, littoral and brown water conditions.
Production readiness is a hard filter. DIU said it is not interested in conceptual designs, developmental work or prototypes, and requires active production lines for both the vessel and the drones. Companies selected for the first sprint must have a mission-ready system available for testing within 29 days.
How Are the Sprints and Prizes Structured?
The competition runs 12 months and is split into three sprint cohorts with rolling submission windows. DIU reserves the right to assign applicants to cohorts based on their technical and manufacturing maturity.
The first sprint closes Aug. 10 and carries up to $40 million, with in-water testing in fall 2026. Its stated objective is forward operational fielding within 120 days. A second sprint takes submissions in fall 2026 for early 2027 testing, also worth up to $40 million, and targets expanded payloads, upgraded autonomy and multi-vendor integration. A third sprint opens in spring 2027 for summer 2027 testing, with up to $20 million in funding.
Testing splits into two events. Vendors run the first at a site of their choosing, covering autonomous transit, vessel performance, drone launch and recovery, and sensor tracking. The Department of War runs the second at a government site, where military operators take direct control and the system faces navigation with active signal jamming and simulated intercepts of maneuvering targets.
The solicitation is open to U.S. and international vendors. Companies may enter as integrated teams or submit standalone vessels, drones or payloads, with DIU offering to match complementary vendors during testing or down-selection.
What Comes After the Prize Challenge?
DIU has budgeted a separate $200 million for follow-on other transaction agreements covering prototyping or production. The awardees will be selected based on performance during the prize challenge.
DIU opened two other prize competitions in July. The Ground-Based Affordable Mass challenge seeks low-cost, long-range precision strike systems. DIU said it wants systems it can demonstrate within 60 to 90 days and move into production in 12 to 18 months. The agency set aside up to $250 million to cover that prize and any follow-on work, with top-rated entries eligible for up to $5 million. Responses close Aug. 5.
Earlier in the month, DIU opened the $5 million Specular MIST challenge for autonomous containerized maritime payloads, in partnership with the Department of the Navy’s Rapid Capabilities Office and the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. That competition sought threat radar simulators, active electronic attack systems and passive electronic surveillance tools. An at-sea demonstration off Southern California runs Sept. 10 to 25, with winners named Oct. 30.
