Navy to buy more unmanned underwater vehicles for mine countermeasures work

The U.S. Navy has issued a sole source award, which could run for five years and be worth as much as $36.5 million, to a company based on Cape Cod, Hydroid, Inc., of Pocasset, MA, for an undisclosed quantity of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which can be used by Navy expeditionary forces for mine countermeasures in shallow and very shallow water.

“The UUV systems protect the membders of all services and the public who could be subject to danger from undetected/unidentified underwater threat objects in both foreign and domestic coastal and confined waters,” says a document justifying the decisions to award the contract to Hydroid without competition.

The MK 18 UUV is based on Hydroid’s commercial available REMUS UUV. The Navy’s Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, which is located in Indian Head, MD, plans to procure both Mod 1 versions and the larger Mod 2 versions, which are not man-portable, says the notice.

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