US Navy intends to release a MUSV request for prototype proposal

Having operated and tested MUSVs like Mariner, shown here, the US Navy is planning to seek proposal more more MUSV prototypes. (Michael Fabey)

The US Navy (USN) plans to release a request for prototype proposal (RPP) by 1 August for a high-capacity Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) solutions used for logistics support and capable of transporting containerised payloads, the Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS) office noted on 7 July in an announcement on a government contracting opportunity website.

To accelerate the design, development and demonstration of MUSV high-capacity capabilities, the navy will utilise the Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracting, the USN said.

“It is intended that this solicitation will result in the award(s) of prototype projects, which will demonstrate operational capability that can be rapidly fielded,” the USN said. “This effort is intended to focus on relevance, maturity, feasibility, performance, and affordability of the proposed vessel solutions.”

The USN said it is looking for participation from “interested parties with expertise in vessel construction, autonomy, perception systems and complex maritime problem-solving experience”.'

The RPP comes in the wake of the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) annual report on major Pentagon programmes that includes material on USN MUSV acquisition efforts.

“The navy, including fleet officials, identified that the MUSV prototypes demonstrated more capability and could be used for more missions than initially expected,” the GAO said in its report, released 2 July.

“The navy's initial estimate for the cost of the MUSV programme is over USD2.1 billion,” the GAO noted. “Congress provided USD2.1 billion for the development and acquisition of MUSVs in July 2025.”