Textron unveils unmanned marine vessel

Against the backdrop of the upcoming closure of Avondale shipyards, last year's work stoppage at NASA's Michoud facility and the state's hunger for more manufacturing jobs, Textron Marine & Land Systems on Thursday unveiled a prototype that it is shopping to the U.S. Navy and, if contracted, would build in the New Orleans area.

Textron treated local officials and media to a demonstration of the Common Unmanned Surface Vessel, or CUSV, a 39-foot vessel that can sniff out mines and patrol waterways all without a pilot on board.

Textron built two of the vessels, at its own expense, in the hope that the U.S. Navy or another international navy will be interested in them. The prototypes, which were constructed in Maryland, will undergo testing with the Navy this summer at Camp Pendleton in San Diego.

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