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Unmanned Systems

DARPA Looks To Next-Gen Small Autonomous Undersea Vehicles

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026

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DARPA Looks To Next-Gen Small Autonomous Undersea Vehicles

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) last month released a solicitation for its two year-long Deep Thoughts program looking to rapidly develop next-generation small autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs) in timelines that go from design to testing in months or weeks. The solicitation said DARPA is trying to find innovative approaches to address challenges in technical areas including AUV and pressure vessel (PV) designs, materials science, manufacturing techniques, embedded AUV subsystems and payloads, and supporting mission engineering and digital engineering…

Congress

SASC Cites Concern With Army’s sUAS Approach, Seeks Info On Plans To Scale Fielding

Senate defense authorizers are seeking more info from the Army on its plans for scaling and deploying small drone capabilities citing concern with the service’s current “fragmented and insufficient” approach. […]

SASC Bill Would Raise Amphib Requirement To 33 Ships

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) fiscal year 2027 defense policy bill adds new provisions that would raise the Navy and Marine Corps’ minimum requirement for amphibious warships and extend […]

Army

Army Plans To Initiate ISV-Heavy Competition Later This Year, Official Says

The Army is planning to initiate its competition to build the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV)-Heavy in the fourth quarter of this year, a senior acquisition official has said. Jesse Tolleson, […]

Senate Authorization Bill Restricts Building Navy Warships Overseas With Limited Exception For Auxiliaries

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) version of the FY 2027 defense policy bill looks to cut the ability for the Trump administration to buy foreign-made warships, but still allow […]