US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies
The Orca is a main contender for the USN XLUUV programme. (Photo: US Navy)
The programme’s structure as a marketplace will allow multiple companies to compete for ongoing procurements; an approach which could be replicated across the Atlantic.
According to the US Navy’s (USN) five-year shipbuilding plan released in May 2026, it plans to spend US$3.11 billion on Medium Uncrewed Surface Vessels (MUSVs) between FY2027 and FY2031. Shephard’s Defence Insight meanwhile has identified that at least a further $16.24 billion could be spent from 2032 until the 2050s.
The MUSV programme was first announced by then Navy Secretary John Phelan in March 2026 as a replacement for the Modular Attack Surface Craft programme. The MUSV programme is designed to act as a marketplace that allows the USN to procure production-ready solutions, instead of seeking developmental or prototype solicitations.
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