May 9 (UPI) — AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, was awarded a $20.7 million contract modification Friday for work on the Navy’s Unmanned Influence Sweep System and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program.
According to the Department of Defense, this week’s deal modifies a deal originally awarded in September 2014 for work on the UISS, which consists of a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vessel and is designed to operate as part of the littoral combat ship (LCS) mine countermeasure (MCM) package.
Unmanned surface vehicles, or Naval drones, are boats that operate on the surface of the water without a crew.
According to the Pentagon, the UISS program is intended to satisfy the Navy’s need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines, while also providing a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform.
Work on the contract will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., and Slidell, La., with an expected completion date of September 2021.
