Textron Systems Wins US Navy Contract For Two Common Unmanned Surface Vehicles (CUSV)

Textron Systems Unmanned Systems has received a $14.8 million contract to provide two fourth-generation Common Unmanned Surface Vehicles (CUSV) vehicles for the US Navy's Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) program.

Delivery of the two CUSV systems is expected in 2018, the company announced Monday.

The US Navy intends to use these two CUSV systems as part of their comprehensive Mine Counter Measure Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MCM USV) mission, which includes mine-hunting, and potentially mine-neutralization, as well as mine-sweeping.

"The craft and its associated systems will provide a modular capability that will be a key component of the Navy's future mine countermeasures efforts." Captain Jon Rucker, Program Manager for the Navy's Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406) said.

These two additional CUSVs will join the U.S. Navy's first CUSV, which is designed for the influence sweeping mission.

This UISS CUSV recently completed initial testing near Textron Systems Marine & Land Systems facility in Louisiana and is currently undergoing additional testing off of the east coast of the US.

"The inherent modularity that CUSV provides will enable the US Navy to complete both mine-sweeping and mine-hunting missions from a single craft, demonstrating the CUSV system's multi-mission capabilities and large, configurable payload bay." Vice President of Control & Surface Systems Wayne Prendersaid.

The CUSV is a multi-mission unmanned surface vehicle, capable of carrying multiple payloads, including side-scan sonar, mine neutralization, nonlethal weapons, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors.

Since its first demonstration in 2009, the CUSV has completed several prominent exercises with the US Navy.

Today, the variations of the CUSV have amassed more than 2,000 on-water operational hours.