The Navy awarded General Dynamics’ Mission Systems [GD] a $93 million contract on Sept. 30 to design, test and deliver the Hammerhead Prototype encapsulated anti-submarine warfare mine system.
The Navy aims for the Hammerheads to be deployed from unmanned underwater vehicles to detect, classify and destroy anti-submarine warfare targets.
According to a 2020 presolicitation post, Hammerhead will feature an encapsulated Mk 54 torpedo effector, which will be released to acquire and engage underwater targets. The service’s conceptual configuration of the system includes a capsule module with the effector, a mooring module, an energy module, and a communications module. The system is to provide overt or clandestine standoff delivery of multiple mines.
The contract announcement said GD’s contract includes options that, if exercised, would raise the total value to almost $276 million. Most of the work will be split among Taunton, Mass. (29 percent); Braintree, Mass. (16 percent); Andover, Md. (12 percent); and Fairfax, Va. (12 percent), and is expected to be finished by September 2023.
If all options are exercised, work will extend through September 2026.
Almost a year ago, the Navy released a draft Request For Proposals (RFP) for the Hammerhead program (Defense Daily, Oct. 23, 2020).
In April 2020, a Navy official said the Hammerhead was designated a Middle Tier Acquisition Rapid Prototyping program and a Navy Maritime Accelerated Acquisition and that the service plans to contract for up to 30 prototypes. Operationally relevant prototype were planned to be delivered by the end of FY ‘23 (Defense Daily, April 13, 2020).
This announcement said the contract was competitively procured with two offers received, but did not disclose the other competitor.
The Navy previously said 16 companies participated in an industry day for the Hammerhead program, which the service planned to help improve industry’s understanding of the program and accelerate the design, development and production of the product.
The Hammerhead program began in 2018 and features a modular architecture approach, which seeks to allow for future technology insertions.