Navy issues MUUV draft RFP

(Editor's note: This was updated April 7 with a statement from a Navy spokesman.)

The Navy this week issued the draft solicitation for a new unmanned undersea vehicle focused on mine countermeasures and oceanographic sensing, a service spokesman confirmed to Inside Defense today.

The Medium Unmanned Underwater Vehicle "will provide persistent surface launched and recovered mine countermeasures (MCM) and submarine-based autonomous oceanographic sensing/data collection in support of intelligence preparation of the operational environment (IPOE) and MCM," according to a public Navy notice.

Howard Berkof, the deputy program manager for the Navy's unmanned maritime systems program office, said last year at an industry event that MUUV will combine the capabilities of the Razorback and Kingfish UUVs.

"The medium UUV is going towards a common vehicle," he said at the time.

Berkof also said at the time the program office was originally planning to issue the draft solicitation by the end of 2019.

Navy spokesman Alan Baribeau told Inside Defense the service published the MUUV performance specification, a component of the draft solicitation, in November.

"The additional components of the draft RFP, such as an updated draft performance specification based on industry feedback and a draft statement of work, were issued March 30, in keeping with the notional acquisition timeline. A formal RFP is expected to be issued later this spring," he added.