The US Navy has contracted General Dynamics to develop the Mining Expendable Delivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA) System for its submarine fleet.
The deal is worth $15.9 million and includes program management, design, systems engineering, fabrication, testing, and integration through 2026.
MEDUSA is a mining system that uses compact-size, expendable unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV).
It is designed to be deployed from a submarine via torpedo tubes while integrating various payloads.
UUV Technology
“Innovation is critical to our national security and directly contributes to the readiness of our fleet,” said Captain Matthew Lewis, program manager of the unmanned maritime systems program office.
Lewis added that unmanned technologies, such as MEDUSA, are crucial to empowering US warfighters and protecting the country’s interests at sea.
The deal could be extended to 2032 under a total budget of $58 million.
In 2019, General Dynamics was awarded a $45 million contract for its Knifefish UUV, developed for identifying mine threats and enhancing safety for personnel operating in minefields.
