The U.S. Navy announced on July 28 a solicitation requesting industry input to support the development of the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program. The solicitation, open through August 11, invites companies to submit white papers or slide presentations detailing their capabilities and proposed solutions.
The MASC program aims to develop a modular, multi-mission uncrewed surface vessel (USV) force by combining elements of the Navy’s Medium and Large USV programs. The initiative is designed to enhance the Navy’s distributed lethality and battlespace awareness by incorporating capabilities such as anti-surface warfare, strike warfare, and information operations.
“The MASC program represents a significant step forward in the Navy's pursuit of a robust and adaptable unmanned surface fleet,” said Capt. Matthew Lewis, program manager of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office. “This innovative approach to acquisition, coupled with a modular design philosophy, will provide the fleet with cost-effective and highly capable platforms to address the challenges of the 21st-century maritime environment.”
The Navy will use Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) to streamline development and emphasize rapid deployment and cost-effectiveness. The program will focus on leveraging commercial off-the-shelf technology and existing commercial ship designs to accelerate fielding.
“By uniting advanced modular design with rapid, cost-effective acquisition strategies, MASC will transform our surface fleet’s capabilities—enabling distributed lethality and enhanced battlespace awareness across multiple mission domains,” said Melissa Kirkendall, acting Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC). “We encourage industry partners to engage with this transformative initiative and collaborate with us to shape the future of unmanned maritime operations.”
