The Navy announced on Tuesday that it will purchase 30 medium‑size unmanned surface vessels, with ten units each from Galliano Marine Services, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Saronic Technologies. The contracts, awarded under the service’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program, mark the first major procurement of larger autonomous boats in years, though a timeline for operational deployment has not been set. Acting Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems Chris Miller said each vessel will cost an average of $40 million, giving the program a total price tag of roughly $1.2 billion. Production is slated to begin at shipyards in Loreauville, Houma and Franklin, Louisiana, with deliveries possible as early as the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2027. The awards were granted through Other Transaction Authority agreements, a contracting method intended to speed prototyping and research without the usual lengthy procurement process. Miller said the agreements represent a “significant step forward in translating the strategic vision into a tangible fleet capability.” The Navy’s Phase I requirements called for a range of at least 2,500 nautical miles at 25 knots while carrying a 25‑metric‑ton payload, the ability to transport 40‑foot equivalent containers, and at‑sea refueling at 2,000 gallons per minute through deck connections. Vessels must also operate in NATO STANAG 4194 Sea State 4 and survive Sea State 6 conditions. Phase II contracts will impose additional limits, including a maximum length of 295 feet and a displacement cap of 5,000 metric tons, as well as the capacity to carry two 20‑foot equivalent units weighing 24,000 kg each and consuming 25 kW each. The ships must support multi‑day autonomous operations of at least 10 days. Testing under Phase I involved more than 360 nautical miles of autonomous navigation over roughly 26 hours, with only a single command‑and‑control input allowed, to demonstrate endurance and minimal operator oversight. Miller said the selected designs were judged on autonomy, performance, schedule, and cost. Seven companies originally competed for Phase I, including Birdon, Leidos, PacMar Technologies and Sea Machines; three of them — Galliano, HII and Saronic — will receive $15 million awards and be placed on the Drones.mil maritime marketplace for potential follow‑on production agreements. The Navy also announced a $15 million award for Leidos, PacMar and Sea Machines to complete their prototype agreements. The service emphasized that the modular nature of the vessels will allow payloads such as sensors or repair equipment to be swapped as needs evolve. The procurement effort comes amid broader attempts to field larger unmanned boats that can expand operational reach and reduce reliance on crewed ships, especially in the Pacific theater. Previous attempts to acquire such fleets have faced setbacks, including leadership changes and litigation from companies that were excluded from earlier phases. The Navy recently established a Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center to coordinate these initiatives across the maritime domain.