United States Navy (USN) : News & Discussions


 

Leidos to develop medium-sized unmanned underwater vehicle and sensors for maritime environmental sensing​



Mduuv 12 July 2022


WASHINGTON – Unmanned systems designers at Leidos Inc. in Reston, Va., will design a medium-sized unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for marine environmental sensing and counter-mine warfare under terms of a $12 million contract announced Thursday.
 

For speculative discussion purposes, PrSM on HIMARS can operate in tandem with the new Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). NMESIS carries two stealthy 100 nautical miles (114 miles/185 kilometers) Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) on an unmanned 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) truck that can be sling-loaded by a USMC CH-53K “King Stallion” helicopter for more austere field conditions, mobility, and flexibility. M142 HIMARS (and the unmanned AML) can be transported internally via Marine KC-130J “Hercules” military cargo aircraft and thus requires a landing strip.

Combined, NMESIS with NSM, and HIMARS with PrSM, can form the foundational basis for the USMC’s LBASM deterrent. (Also note that the M142 HIMARS can also be outfitted with special racks for AIM-120 AMRAAMs for a forward surface-to-air missile Air Defense option, but the USMC has yet to field this option although there was a test firing of an AIM-120 from a HIMARS in March 2009).


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