USA: Bluefin Wins Contract to Provide UUVs for LCS SMCM UUV Program

Bluefin Robotics, a leader in the design and manufacturing of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) is being awarded a subcontract from General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems for engineering and manufacturing of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (SMCM UUV).

As a critical part of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Warfare mission package, the SMCM UUV system will provide the fleet mine warfare commander and sailors with enhanced mine-hunting capability and address the Navy’s need to reliably detect and identify buried mines in high-clutter environments.

The SMCM UUV system will include two Bluefin-21 UUVs in addition to launch and recovery equipment, a support container, spare parts and support equipment. The UUV will feature Bluefin’s modular and flexible vehicle architecture, pressure-tolerant field-swappable subsea batteries, and low-noise propulsion technology. In addition, the vehicle will also include an advanced sonar payload developed by the General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Team.

“Bluefin is excited to be a part of this industry team led by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems to deliver a much needed war-fighting capability for the MCM mission package,” said David P. Kelly, President and CEO of Bluefin Robotics. “We are looking forward to leveraging proven Bluefin technologies demonstrated over the past decade and further advance the vehicle capabilities to fully satisfy the LCS mission requirements.”

The subcontract includes an option for the production of up to five low rate initial production systems (ten UUVs) as well as other options. Work will be performed in Quincy, Massachusetts.

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Subsea World News Staff  , November 22 , 2011; Image: Bluefin