Navy creating new marketplace for maritime drones as it looks to ‘surge capacity’ for Golden Fleet

The Navy is launching a marketplace for medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) with swappable containerized payloads, replacing its previous Modular Attack Surface Craft program to accelerate procurement of proven maritime drone designs. Companies must submit proposals by April 17 and participate in on-water testing by September 30, with successful vendors receiving $15 million after passing Navy tests and expected to deliver production vessels by fiscal year 2027. The effort, funded partly through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Trump signed, aims to qualify multiple vendors and build surge capacity for autonomous vessels that will operate alongside next-generation battleships in the Golden Fleet initiative. Navy Secretary John Phelan said the new approach will "leverage private investment and accelerate the delivery of real capabilities to the Fleet" at greater speed than traditional acquisition. Rebecca Gassler, the Navy's portfolio acquisition executive for robotic and autonomous systems, said the marketplace opens a broader market for vendors and represents the first of planned recurring marketplaces for all unmanned surface vessels.