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DIU Taps Textron to Supply TSUNAMI USVs for Navy Experiments and Operations

The award signals a shift toward contractor-run services to field scalable unmanned patrol craft faster.

Overview

  • The Defense Innovation Unit awarded Textron Systems a contract on Friday to deliver multiple TSUNAMI uncrewed surface vessels.
  • The vessels will support the Navy’s Fleet Experimentation exercise in Key West before three months of joint operations with Fourth Fleet and U.S. Southern Command.
  • Textron will provide long-dwell interceptor variants and embed Field Service Representatives to keep the systems running during the events.
  • Planned trials will link the USVs with an Aerosonde 4.7 vertical‑takeoff drone launched from a Littoral Combat Ship to share intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting data.
  • The exercise will also test crewed–uncrewed surface warfare using Invariant Corporation’s STAKE system, as TSUNAMI draws on Brunswick-built hulls and Textron’s CUSV autonomy that led to its new Multi Mission USV.