The US Navy plans to buy 30 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs), with Galliano Marine Services, HII, and Saronic Technologies each receiving agreements for 10 vessels, The War Zone reports. The Navy estimates the cost at about $40 million per vessel, for a potential total of $1.2 billion, with production beginning in Louisiana and deliveries expected as early as the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027.

The agreements follow successful Phase One testing, which evaluated autonomous navigation, maritime awareness, and endurance. The vessels demonstrated the ability to operate for about 26 hours and more than 360 nautical miles with only one command input. The Navy says the awards were based on autonomy, performance, design, production schedules, and cost.

The Navy is also expanding the program through Phase Two, allowing a broader range of vessels and payload configurations. The new requirements emphasize at least 10 days of unmanned operation while removing some earlier demands for high speed and at-sea refueling. The Navy hopes the expanded approach will increase competition and accelerate the development of larger unmanned vessels, although the program still faces budget, legal, and implementation challenges.

Meanwhile, defense technology firms Saronic and Castelion are partnering to integrate Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic vehicle onto Saronic’s Marauder MUSV, with a maritime launch demonstration planned for 2027. The companies describe the effort as the first integration of a hypersonic vehicle with an autonomous surface vessel, combining unmanned maritime operations with long-range strike capabilities. Castelion also plans to increase Blackbeard production to several thousand systems annually.