Navy contracts for counter-mine vessel

• Tweet

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has contracted General Dynamics Advanced Informational Systems Inc. for an unmanned mine countermeasure vehicle.

The $48.6 million award features cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price line items for the engineering, manufacturing and development of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, the U.S. Department of Defense said.

The SMCM UUV system will address the Navy's need to reliably detect and identify undersea volume and bottom mines in high-clutter environments and areas with potential for mine case burial. It will also gather environmental data to provide intelligence support for other mine warfare systems.

The Defense Department said the SMCM UUV system will be a part of the Littoral Combat Ship MCM mission package.

The contract contains an option for the production of up to five low-rate initial production systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to more than $86.7 million.

General Dynamics' work will be performed at facilities in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City Beach, Fla., is the contracting activity.