Who needs sailors anyway?

[Kirkhill]

5 new MUSVs from HII

Largest US military shipbuilder expands autonomous vessel production

America's largest military shipbuilder is expanding manufacturing capacity for its ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel family.

interestingengineering.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Vard's autonomous pitch

Autonomy by Design: Vard Marine - Uncrewed Systems - Canada

Autonomy by Design: "Vard Marine and its clients benefit from direct access to world-class shipbuilding expertise."

canadiandefencereview.com

 

[Kirkhill]

USN uses USVs to attack Bandar Abbas

"U.S. Central Command utilized three Corsair unmanned surface vessels to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Bandar Abbas naval base in Iran, marking the “first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations,” CENTCOM confirmed on X on Monday."

Sea drones strike Iranian port in combat first for US

U.S. Central Command utilized three Corsair unmanned surface vessels to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran.

www.militarytimes.com

"Built by Saronic, the Corsair is a 24-foot USV that has a range of over 1,000 nautical miles and a payload capacity of 1,000 pounds while surging at 35 knots."

 

[Kirkhill]

Follow-up on the effect of those USV strikes.

Iranian Submarine Force Consigned to History

While the effect had already been almost completely achieved, the U.S. Navy attack on the submarine maintenance facility in the Bandar Abbas Naval Har...

maritime-executive.com

For the record it was a SaronicCorsair that rescued those downed aviators in the Gulf.

Saronic USV Rescues Two U.S. Army Pilots Downed by Iran - Naval News

A U.S. Navy drone task force picked up two downed pilots using a Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessel (USV) yesterday in Middle Eastern waters during a first of its kind rescue mission.

www.navalnews.com

And Saronic is building for the USN's MUSV requirement.

Saronic Launches First Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel - Naval News

Saronic today announced the launch of its first Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV)

www.navalnews.com

"With a top speed of 25+ knots and a range of up to 5,400 nautical miles, Marauder can reposition rapidly and sustain operations across vast ocean distances. Its 150-metric-ton payload capacity, configurable to accommodate up to four 40-foot or eight 20-foot ISO containers"

54m long and 30 days loitering on station uncrewed.

Price point in the 10-15 MUSD range.

 

[Kirkhill]

And in Germany

German firms test a drone boat fired from torpedo tubes

Two German defense companies just proved a submarine can fire a scout instead of a torpedo, completing sea trials of an uncrewed boat small enough to launch from a standard torpedo tube and surface on its own to spy on

defence-blog.com

"Two German defense companies just proved a submarine can fire a scout instead of a torpedo, completing sea trials of an uncrewed boat small enough to launch from a standard torpedo tube and surface on its own to spy on an enemy without ever putting the submarine itself at risk."

"Ranger measures 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) long and is rated to survive submarine depths of 300 meters (984 feet), dimensions chosen specifically so the vessel fits inside a standard 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tube, the same launch system nearly every modern attack submarine already carries. Once fired from the tube, the vessel autonomously rises to the surface, unfolds a retractable keel and sensor mast that stay tucked away during the underwater launch sequence, and begins operating on an electric drivetrain quiet enough not to immediately give away a nearby submarine’s position. The vehicle’s payload bay is mission-configurable, meaning naval customers can swap in different sensor packages depending on whether a mission calls for electronic surveillance, visual reconnaissance, or another intelligence-gathering role, and GABLER says a strike-capable variant called Strike, built for one-way attack missions rather than reusable reconnaissance, will also become available as the program matures."

....

Will UxVs become "Runners" - replacing gallopers, runners and carrier pigeons as couriers supplementing electronic comms with physical comms?

A particularly useful capability for underwater comms. Send a courier to the surface, transmit/receive/return.

 

[Kirkhill]

Follow-up on the effect of those USV strikes.

Iranian Submarine Force Consigned to History

While the effect had already been almost completely achieved, the U.S. Navy attack on the submarine maintenance facility in the Bandar Abbas Naval Har...

maritime-executive.com

For the record it was a SaronicCorsair that rescued those downed aviators in the Gulf.

Saronic USV Rescues Two U.S. Army Pilots Downed by Iran - Naval News

A U.S. Navy drone task force picked up two downed pilots using a Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessel (USV) yesterday in Middle Eastern waters during a first of its kind rescue mission.

www.navalnews.com

And Saronic is building for the USN's MUSV requirement.

Saronic Launches First Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel - Naval News

Saronic today announced the launch of its first Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV)

www.navalnews.com

"With a top speed of 25+ knots and a range of up to 5,400 nautical miles, Marauder can reposition rapidly and sustain operations across vast ocean distances. Its 150-metric-ton payload capacity, configurable to accommodate up to four 40-foot or eight 20-foot ISO containers"

54m long and 30 days loitering on station uncrewed.

Price point in the 10-15 MUSD range.

Further to this

Saronic’s Louisiana shipyard helps drive a new wave of defense technology

Saronic Technologies is at the center of a major shift in naval warfare, a move toward autonomous vessels, artificial intelligence and faster defense manufacturing, The New York Times reports. That shift gained attention after a June rescue mission near the Strait of Hormuz, when a...

www.businessreport.com

"Saronic is also competing for a role in the Navy’s roughly $2.1 billion effort to build a new fleet of medium-sized unmanned surface vessels. The company was among seven firms selected to continue in the competition, but the process has sparked controversy. Some competitors argue that the Navy gave Saronic preferential treatment, while the Defense Department denies any political favoritism and says the selections were based on technical capability and readiness."

2.1 BUSD divided by 7 suppliers = 300 MUSD per supplier
15 MUSD per vessel
20 vessels per supplier
140 vessels.

"Companies whose MUSV successfully completes the at-sea test will receive $15 million and will be eligible for follow-on production. At-sea testing will begin next month and should be complete by October 2026."

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/4503917/us-navy-announces-seven-companies-selected-for-musv-marketplace-at-sea-demonstr/

....