MUSV development continues for L3Harris
L3Harris is continuing engineering and technical support for the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel programme in the US. (Photo: L3Harris)
The USN is continuing to fund the evolution of Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels.
L3Harris Technologies has obtained a $60.48 million contract modification from Naval Sea Systems Command for continued engineering and technical support on the USN Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) programme.
The DoD stated on 2 July that work will be performed in Morgan City, Louisiana (73%); Arlington, Virginia (10%); Jeanerette, Louisiana (8 percent); New Orleans, Louisiana (6%); Worthington, Ohio (2%); Lafayette, Louisiana (1%), and is expected to be completed by December 2022.
MUSVs in USN thinking are 45-190ft (13.7-57.9m) long, displacing about 500t. Like the planned Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (for which the DoD requests $149 million in development funds for FY2022), MUSVs must be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships that can accommodate various payloads as a key element in future USN strategy.
The first MUSV prototype was funded in FY2019 and L3Harris received a $34.99 million contract in July 2020 to develop it, with options to procure up to eight additional vessels.
The USN wants to fund a second prototype in FY2023.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment]()
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
-
![How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China]()
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
![US Pentagon claims to have severely damaged Iranian capabilities, promises to increase attacks]()
US Pentagon claims to have severely damaged Iranian capabilities, promises to increase attacks
US military authorities claim to have sunk 20 Iranian vessels and destroyed Tehran’s Air Force, with the Pentagon making plans to send additional assets to the region.
-
![Greece’s newly commissioned FDI frigate deployed to Cyprus]()
Greece’s newly commissioned FDI frigate deployed to Cyprus
The recent naval modernisation efforts by the Hellenic Navy have been bolstered by the acquisition of advanced Naval Group frigates, the first of which was delivered in December 2025 and is now playing a crucial role in the latest Middle East conflict.
