1.2 Billion Dollar Autonomous Ship Contract from the US Navy

According to the news published by The War Zone, based on the official statements of US Navy officials, the agreement envisages the purchase of 10 ships from each of three companies: Galliano MarineServices (Edison Chouest), Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and Saronic Technologies.

The contracts were awarded under a special and simplified “Other Action Authorization” (OTA) mechanism, which allows the US Navy to accelerate development and testing processes without the need for lengthy bureaucratic procedures.

The average cost of each ship is $40 million, bringing the total value of the contracts to $1.2 billion, according to Chris Miller, acting head of the U.S. Navy's robotics and autonomous systems program.

FIRST DELIVERY NEXT YEAR

Production of the ships will begin immediately at shipyards in Louisiana, with first deliveries expected as early as 2027.

In the first phase of the MUSV program, ships demonstrated their ability to operate autonomously for more than 26 hours and travel more than 360 nautical miles.