The U.S. Navy has selected three dealers, Anduril Industries, Kongsberg Discovery, and Oceaneering International, to build prototypes of its new large undersea drones, aimed at countering current and future maritime threats.
The Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) program seeks prototypes capable of effectively deploying payloads and effectors in dispersed, deep, and contested undersea environments.
“The successful prototypes will enable future capabilities in [subsea warfare] and undersea warfare] missions,” the announcement stated. “This project will also drive advancements in underwater engineering, autonomous systems, communications, and shape employment of LDUUV for future naval operations.”
These three companies, selected for their expertise in unmanned systems, are tasked with delivering a cost-effective and scalable solution for underwater warfare needs.
“NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command), in partnership with the DIU (Defense Innovation Unit), has selected the best-in-breed from industry to rapidly advance new undersea capabilities in the subsea and seabed warfare domain,” said Capt. Grady Hill, program manager for U.S. Navy’s Program Office for Advanced Undersea Systems (PMS 394).
Selected companies
Anduril Industries, with its Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle, brings extensive experience in developing sophisticated platforms for various operations.
Kongsberg Discovery will leverage its expertise with the HUGIN Endurance underwater vehicle to contribute to the program’s requirements.
Oceaneering International offers its Freedom underwater robotic solution, equipped with advanced sensors and cameras for improved intelligence gathering.
Anduril Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle
One of the selected drones by U.S. Navy is Anduril’s Dive-LD – a flexible autonomous underwater vehicle, capable of rapidly integrating complex payloads and multi-sensor suites.
According to Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf, the selection comes at a critical moment for the Department of Defense, offering urgently needed capabilities to deter maritime threats globally.
“In an era of strategic competition, our AUVs like Dive-LD provide urgently needed capability to deter maritime threats around the world. We are excited to work with our U.S. Government partners as we look to build advanced, affordable, autonomous capabilities at scale in support of U.S. Navy priorities,” the CEO said.
The Dive-LD platform, characterized by rapid production, low cost, and scalability, fills a significant gap in the fielding of unmanned undersea vehicles with long endurance and large payload capabilities.
During rigorous evaluations at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Dive-LD demonstrated its capabilities, leading to its selection for a contract under DIU’s Commercial Solutions Opening process.
Additionally, Anduril’s partnership with the Royal Australian Navy on Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles underscores its dedication to advancing maritime operations.