New Procurement Model Accelerates Autonomous Capability

The US Navy is abandoning its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program in favor of a new procurement model, introducing the first medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) marketplace. According to Rebecca Gassler, the portfolio acquisition executive for robotic and autonomous systems, the goal is to accelerate autonomous capability to the fleet by focusing on production-ready, mission-capable platforms. The first iteration of the marketplace opened today and closes on April 17, with funding derived from President Donald Trump’s budget bill that included $2.1 billion for MUSVs. This development was first reported by Breaking Defense.