Navy moves forward with unmanned surface vessel for counter-mine warfare

U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel (USV) experts are moving forward with plans to equip the littoral combat ship with quickly deployable fast-moving unmanned boats to clear large ocean areas of sea mines that could threaten aircraft carrier battle groups, commercial ship traffic, and other ocean assets. Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command announced a $10.8 million order to the Textron Systems Corp. Unmanned Systems segment in Hunt Valley, Md., for engineering and technical services for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) unmanned patrol boat. The UISS is one of the counter-mine warfare systems that will enable the littoral combat ship to perform mine warfare sweep missions. UISS will target acoustic, magnetic, and magnetic and acoustic combination mine types only. The UISS program provides rapid wide-area mine clearance to neutralize magnetic and acoustic sea mines in a small, lightweight package. The UISS uses the Textron Common Unmanned Surface Vessel (CUSV) will travel aboard the LCS and will deploy as necessary to detect, pinpoint, and trigger explosive sea mines hidden under the surface to damage or destroy surface warships or commercial shipping.