The US Navy is pivoting from a prototyping program to a faster procurement model for medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs), aiming to rapidly integrate autonomous boats into its “Golden Fleet” initiative.
It canceled the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) prototyping effort launched in July 2025, which sought USVs capable of carrying two 40-foot (12-meter) containers at 25 knots (46 kilometers/28 miles per hour) over 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 kilometers/2,876 miles).
According to reports, the service concluded that existing industry offerings may already satisfy much of the requirement, reducing the need for a lengthy prototyping effort.
Rebecca Gassler, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems, emphasized skipping prototypes to “test the capability on water and go straight into production,” saving about a year, as per Breaking Defense.
“Our goal is to create a regular and recurring marketplace, not just for the MUSV, but for other classes of vessels as well, over time, designed to match the growing demand for unmanned systems across a range of missions,” she added.
Approximately $2.1 billion was allotted for the funding of the MUSVs under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed in July 2025.
MUSV Solicitation
Unlike the MASC prototype effort, the newer MUSV approach appears aimed at fielding a more scalable, multi-mission platform that can be integrated into broader fleet expansion plans.
Vendors must submit a technical design, business model, supply chain and sustainment plans, as well as test plans, before sending off their MUSVs for on-water testing, which must be completed at the end of fiscal 2026, according to the solicitation.
The service will provide a payout of $10,000 for firms that attend the post-award conference, and $15,000,000 after successfully completing all the navy’s water tests.
The first production vessel is expected for delivery in fiscal 2027.
