Birdon America and Mythos AI have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) opportunities aligned with evolving U.S. Navy requirements. The agreement was announced during the Sea-Air-Space 2026.
Under the collaboration, Birdon America will provide maritime platform development, systems integration, and program execution capabilities. Mythos AI will serve as the autonomy provider, delivering navigation, perception, command and control, and mission software designed for integration into unmanned surface vessel platforms.
“Birdon is focused on delivering mission-ready maritime capability for demanding defense environments,” said Birdon president Tony Ardito. “Our strategy is centered on building scalable, production-ready capacity for the future defense market, and selecting Mythos AI as our autonomy provider is an important part of that vision. By combining expanded shipbuilding capability with advanced autonomy, we aim to offer scalable mission-capable unmanned systems for defense customers.”
Mythos AI CEO Geoff Douglas said the agreement reflects increasing demand for integrated autonomy solutions in maritime defense applications.
“This collaboration reflects the growing need for mature autonomy capabilities that can be integrated into mission-ready maritime platforms for defense customers,” Douglas said. “Birdon brings deep experience in delivering maritime engineering solutions, proven program execution across the defense sector, and we are excited to work together on a solution that can support the Navy’s evolving MUSV requirements.”
The companies said the effort will focus on developing a vertically integrated autonomous vessel solution, with an emphasis on rapid prototyping, system integration, and demonstration. The partners aim to advance a mission-capable MUSV design toward production readiness within the calendar year.
The MUSV effort comes as Birdon continues to expand its U.S. shipbuilding footprint. In January, Birdon America announced plans to construct a 400,000-sq.-ft. shipbuilding facility at the Port of Pensacola, with operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027. The project is backed by a $76 million grant approved for the City of Pensacola by Triumph Gulf Coast, which oversees economic recovery funds tied to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The city will own the facility and lease it long-term to Birdon.
The new yard, planned for a site historically used for cargo and maritime operations, will target naval and defense work, including construction of Navy ship modules, submarine modules, and surface vessels up to 400'.
Planned MUSV activities under the new agreement include prototype development, technical integration, demonstration campaigns, and production planning, with an eye toward future U.S. Navy and broader defense opportunities.
