Overview
- The Defense Innovation Unit and U.S. Navy opened the prize challenge to solicit near‑commercial mine‑countermeasures that are ready for operational use within six months.
- Entries must be communication‑resilient, modular systems that provide full kill‑chain detect‑to‑engage capability for seabed mines and neutralization for near‑surface and water‑column threats.
- Vendors can win up to $200,000 each with per‑track prize pools as high as $3 million, and the program offers potential follow‑on prototyping or procurement contracts.
- The notice sets firm milestones: responses are due June 10, initial awards are planned for June 19, and on‑water testing is scheduled to begin July 20.
- Navy leaders stressed limits to large‑scale clearance in contested waters and said a generally accepted ceasefire would likely be needed for mass demining, while officials called the effort a high‑priority step to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.