Surface Navy 2021: US Navy touts MCM USV transition as DOT&E questions performance

With the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MCM USV) and related equipment in the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) configuration reaching Milestone C in early 2020, the system has started low-rate production and transitioned to mission-package development for onboard integration with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Captain Pete Small, Unmanned Maritime Systems Programme manager, noted on 13 January during a briefing at the virtual Surface Navy Association 2021 National Symposium, which started on 11 January.

However, in a report released on 14 January, the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) unit questioned the system’s testing performance.

The UISS is an unmanned, self-propelled, semi-autonomous surface vehicle equipped with the capability to sweep acoustically or magnetically actuated naval mines.

UISS “demonstrated an unmanned, semi-autonomous capability to sweep acoustically and/or magnetically actuated naval mines during November 2019 testing”, the DOT&E noted in its fiscal year 2020 report.