The Navy issued a sources sought notice last week to find potential vendors to build and support more Submarine Launch Unmanned Aerial System (SLUAS) All-Up-Rounds (AUR).
The SLUAS UAR program, posted in a June 21 notice, includes an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and launch canister, making up to AUR, delivered with a three-inch form factor. Notably, the Navy wants to reach full-rate production of this system within 12 months of contract award.
This project work falls under Program Executive Office Undersea Warfare Systems (PEO UWS), Undersea Defensive Warfare Systems (PMS 415).
This quick turnaround timeline echoes Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks’ Replicator initiative that seeks to procure and deploy a large amount of attritable unmanned systems within two years to help counter Chinese military advances.
Last month, Hicks said the DoD started delivering the first set of unmanned systems for Replicator and was on track to field thousands of systems by August 2025 (Defense Daily, May 23)
Earlier this month, the Navy issued a similar notice related to deploying several Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels, with the plan that the first vessel would be delivered within 12 months of contract award (Defense Daily, June 20).
The Navy originally demonstrated and developed the SLUAS in 2019 and 2020 under middle tier acquisition authorities. At the time, Navy officials said the UAS helped a submarine target and conduct torpedo attacks on surface ships at maximum torpedo range (Defense Daily, Nov. 23, 2020).
The SLUAS was originally developed by Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport.
Also in 2020 the Navy was looking into capabilities for SLUAS to aid in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions (Defense Daily, Nov. 3, 2020).
Last year, the Navy highlighted the SLUAS system during the International Seapower Symposium at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
The existing SLUAS weighs about four pounds and is 19 inches long with a 27-inch wingspan. The UAS is launched from a canister in a three-inch signal ejector while a submarine is submerged.
Respondents to the new notice are instructed to provide a white paper with their capabilities and a special emphasis on the overall Concept of Operations and technical approach of the function and capabilities of the SLUAS AUR they would offer.
The notice detailed the Navy’s interest in a timed release of the SLUAS UAR from underwater and the technical abilities to account for various factors; the UAV is to have an optical payload; the AUR should be able to be stored without intervention for up to six months; and preference to manufacture up to 100 units per year.
The Navy wants the AUR to be a non-developmental item “to the maximum extent possible.”
Responses are due by July 2.