This week the Navy issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking industry information on small unmanned surface vessel (USV) technologies for Navy special warfare or SEAL teams.
The service is particularly looking at technologies related to short endurance USVs less than 14 feet long that can be transportable by an unmodified Combat Craft Medium (CCM) Mark 1 or Combat Craft Assault (CCA) boat, or towed by them. Both kinds of combat vessels are used by naval special forces, such as SEALs.
These USVs would be used to support PMS 340, the Naval Special Warfare office.
The notice said the government is issuing this RFI because it “wants to understand the market space and potentially work with vendors to close identified gaps for a rapid fielding Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA).”
It also said the service may consider having two variants of this USV, a short variant less than six feet long and a larger one up to 14 feet.
Respondents are instructed to address at least some if not all of several basic goals or requirements for the small USV including transportable with the CCM/CCAs, fewer than five people can handle/launch it, two trained operators can change payloads in under 90 minutes, have it take no more than 60 minutes to set up and calibrate, operate up to four hours and transit at least 50 nautical miles, operates in sea state two with 10 pounds of interchangeable payloads, and can maintain a speed of two knots for two hours while sprinting at 15 knots for two minutes.
Other requirements include the USV having “some level of autonomy to execute a preplanned mission and make changes based on the input it is given by integrated sensors” as well as being able to receive and transmit command and control and payload data via line of sight and over the horizon links.
The Navy is also interested in the USV using energy sources that can be produced, refueled or recharged in austere environments.
The solicitation said rapid fielding of this kind of small USV requires either commercial off the shelf (COTS) or minimum Technology Readiness Level of 7.
Respondents are instructed to describe the technology and its potential uses, costs, benefits over alternatives, technical readiness, industry’s capabilities to produce the technology, and high-level cost estimates.