Bollinger Shipyards to build mine countermeasures USVs for US Navy

? The U.S. Navy has awarded US-based Bollinger Shipyards, a privately-held and leading designer and builder of military and commercial vessels, a contract to engineer and build the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vessel (MCM USV) program. The initial contract is for three (3) vessels with options up to a total of 30 vessels.

? “Bollinger is honored to be entrusted by the U.S. Navy to engineer and build the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle program,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “We are proud to partner with HII Unmanned Systems and Raytheon Technologies to build a state-of-the-art, multi-mission unmanned surface vehicle capable of both hunting and sweeping naval mines to support and protect the men and women of the U.S. Navy and our allies around the world.”

MCM USV is an autonomous vessel capable of supporting minesweeping and mine hunting missions. Naval mines present a significant threat to U.S. naval operations and to U.S. and allied shipping in coastal waters, continental shelf waters, port approaches, and straits. The MCM USV program is key to replacing capabilities currently being undertaken by soon-to-be-retired MCM-1 class Mine Countermeasures Ships and MH-53E helicopters.

Bollinger is partnering with HII Unmanned Systems and Raytheon Technologies on the program. HII Unmanned Systems has over 20 years of experience developing and delivering intelligent, autonomous behaviors in undersea, surface and land environments. Raytheon Technologies brings decades of shipboard integration expertise and experience to the MCM USV program as the current Mission Systems Integrator and Cybersecurity provider.

? “HII is excited to partner with Bollinger on this critical defense program,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group at HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Our Odyssey suite of advanced autonomy solutions ties together vessel control, payload management, and navigation with advanced AI/ML algorithms to support complex and dangerous missions such as mine countermeasures, reducing risk to the warfighter with unmanned technology.”

? “With our long history in mine warfare and over a decade of LCS integration experience, Raytheon is ready to support Bollinger Shipyards current and future programs aboard the MCM USV and into LCS ships,” said Kim Ernzen, President of Naval Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

?? Source: Bollinger Shipyards