Textron Systems Corporation is expanding its presence in the market of uncrewed surface vessels. On 13 January, the company unveiled its Multi Mission Uncrewed Surface Vessel (MMUSV), the 5th generation of its common unmanned surface vehicle (CUSV) craft. Zona Militar spoke with Gary Ayers, Program Director at Textron, about the MMUSV. The new system will expand Textron’s family of USVs at a time when the US Navy seeks to rely more on uncrewed systems.
Textron Systems was awarded the Low-Cost Unmanned Maritime Solution (Large) award through the Expeditionary Mission Consortium-Crane (EMC2) in August 2025 for the development, testing, and delivery of the craft, the company explained in a January press release.
Ayers confirmed to ZM that testing is “planned for Q2 of this calendar year, and we expect delivery shortly after sea trials are complete.”
The MMUSV can engage in a variety of missions, including signals intelligence (SIGINT); electronic warfare (EW); mine hunt; intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); surface warfare (SUW); anti-submarine warfare (ASW) support by towing sensors and tracking submarines; and also mine countermeasures (MCM) like mine detection, classification, and neutralization support.
Ayers also noted that the MMUSV can be utilized for a variety of non-combat missions, including harbor and port security through intrusion detection and patrol, as well as for maritime law enforcement missions and interdiction support. The MMUSV can also transport light cargo between ships or to remote locations.
The new MMUSV can carry payloads totaling 5,900 kg (13,000 pounds), operate in rough seas (Sea State 5), and tow over 1,800 kg (4,000 pounds) while remaining low-cost, Textron explained in its press release. Ayers told ZM that the MMUSV can transport payloads that the Generation 4 CUSV has carried, like the Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar (TRAPS), the PONIARD guided rocket, or mine-counter measures (MCM), while also providing more fuel (i.e., range for TRAPS) or additional capacity (i.e., larger magazine depth in the case of SUW).
The US Navy is fully invested in developing a hybrid fleet, in which uncrewed systems will support crewed vessels in a variety of combat and non-combat roles. During the APEX defense expo in Washington, DC in late January, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle of the US Navy explained the need to operate uncrewed systems to support the fleet, including uncrewed surface vessels, medium uncrewed surface vessels, and uncrewed underwater vehicles. “Together, these tailored capabilities will amplify and complement the main battle force,” the Admiral said. This new way of operating is described by the US Navy as “hedge strategy.”
During the event, Admiral Caudle also noted that the service will soon release the US Navy’s Fighting Instructions, a new strategic framework to guide future investments, force design, strategic priorities, and policy decisions.
The unveiling of the MMUSV is not the only recent achievement for Textron regarding its portfolio of uncrewed surface vessels. Back in December, the company announced the sale of a 6.4m (21 feet) Tsunami USV to the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific (PAC). The Tsunami will assist in testing carried out by the Maritime Digital Experimentation Federation (MDEF) – an Australia, United Kingdom, and United States initiative to distribute testing of interoperability standards with uncrewed vehicles.” Tsunami comes in two variants, 6.4 meters (21 feet) and 25 7.62 meters (25 feet).
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