U.S. Navy Launches Program to Revolutionize Unmanned Surface Fleet

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Navy has issued a solicitation seeking industry input for its new Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program. The initiative calls for industry partners to submit white papers or slide decks outlining capabilities and proposed solutions for this transformative unmanned vessel program.

The MASC program represents the Navy’s strategic shift toward a modular approach to unmanned surface vessels, combining capabilities previously separated between Medium and Large USV programs into a single, flexible platform designed for multi-mission operations.

“The MASC program represents a significant step forward in the Navy’s pursuit of a robust and adaptable unmanned surface fleet,” said Capt. Matthew Lewis, program manager of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office. “This innovative approach to acquisition, coupled with a modular design philosophy, will provide the fleet with cost-effective and highly capable platforms to address the challenges of the 21st-century maritime environment.”

The Navy plans to leverage Other Transaction Agreements to streamline acquisition, emphasizing rapid deployment through commercial off-the-shelf technology and incremental development phases. This approach aims to quickly field a cost-effective USV force by utilizing existing commercial designs and production capabilities.

According to Melissa Kirkendall, acting Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants, “By uniting advanced modular design with rapid, cost-effective acquisition strategies, MASC will transform our surface fleet’s capabilities—enabling distributed lethality and enhanced battlespace awareness across multiple mission domains.”

The MASC platform is designed to enhance the Navy’s distributed lethality and battlespace awareness through embarked warfighting capabilities including anti-surface warfare, strike warfare, and information operations, with plans for additional mission areas in the future.

Now formally unveiled, the MASC program aims to deliver a new family of container-based unmanned surface vessels for multi-mission operations, responding to evolving geopolitical and technological challenges by bolstering the Navy’s ability to operate in contested environments.

The Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants oversees the development of the Navy’s unmanned maritime systems, mine warfare systems, special warfare systems, expeditionary warfare systems, small boats/craft, and small surface combatants.

The solicitation is open until August 11.

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