"Demonstrated across programs supporting the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and allied partners, Odyssey enables intuitive command and control of autonomous platforms and swarms across domains, enhancing fleet lethality, survivability, and operational effectiveness," Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, said in a statement today.
The seven companies advancing to MUSV prototype testing
The Navy has selected seven defense firms to move their medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) designs into at-sea prototype testing beginning next month. The winners are:
- Leidos
- Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)
- Sea Machines
- Saronic Technologies
- Galliano Marine Services
- PacMar Technologies
- Birdon
Breaking Defense reported the Navy confirmed on May 22 that seven MUSV marketplace submissions had been selected to advance to the prototype evaluation phase, and USNI News first reported that seven designs were chosen.
Notable designs and company updates named in the announcement
Among the entries highlighted by the companies and the Navy: Leidos offers several MUSV designs, including the Seahawk, which is scheduled to accompany the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt on its upcoming deployment. HII is fielding its Romulus family of USVs, which the company pairs with an AI-driven control suite it calls Odyssey — the system described in Andy Green’s statement.
Sea Machines previously said its STEAMRACER MUSV design was competing in the Navy’s Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program that preceded the MUSV marketplace. Saronic announced that its Marauder MUSV was beginning on-water trials. Breaking Defense reported that PacMar and Birdon did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and that Galliano Marine Services could not be reached.
Testing schedule, performance requirements, and awards
At-sea prototype testing is slated to start next month and is expected to wrap up in October. Companies that successfully complete the at-sea testing will receive $15 million and qualify for follow-on production, the Navy said in a news release.
The marketplace solicitation set specific design and performance requirements. Submissions were required to carry at least two 40-foot shipping containers and to be capable of traveling 2,500 nautical miles at 25 knots in sea state 4 conditions while carrying a 25-metric-ton load on the payload deck.
Marketplace acquisition model and funding origin
The MUSV marketplace was revealed by the Navy as part of a new acquisition model intended to replace the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program and to provide a blueprint for obtaining other autonomous systems, Rebecca Gassler, the portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) for robotic and autonomous systems (RAS), told reporters in March. Gassler said at the time she did not disclose the specific mission set these vessels will fulfill, but that several operational needs could be met, supporting tailored force packages detailed in Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s Fighting Instructions guidance released in February.
Marketplace funding originated from President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill," which passed in July 2025 and included roughly $2.1 billion allocated for MUSVs.
What this means for the Navy, the named vendors, and carrier operations
- The Navy: The service will use the prototype test period (next month through October) to evaluate which designs meet the solicitation’s endurance, payload, and seakeeping requirements and to determine which teams qualify for production contracts and the $15 million award.
- The named vendors (Leidos, HII, Sea Machines, Saronic, Galliano, PacMar, Birdon): Firms that complete testing successfully will both receive funding and gain eligibility for follow-on production — a pathway explicitly tied to performance in the at-sea evaluation.
- Theodore Roosevelt and carrier operations: At least one MUSV design, Leidos’ Seahawk, is scheduled to operate alongside the carrier Theodore Roosevelt on an upcoming deployment, demonstrating an early operational integration of MUSV designs with carrier strike group activity.
The Navy’s selection of seven prototypes, the set technical requirements, and the funding stream from the July 2025 appropriations measure all make this a consequential pilot of the Navy’s new acquisition approach for autonomous surface vessels. Testing beginning next month and the October deadline will determine which designs move from prototype to production-ready status and which of the $2.1 billion in program funds will start flowing through follow-on contracts.
