Executive Summary:
Huntington Ingalls Industries Unmanned Systems received a $36.9 million U.S. Navy contract modification to continue production of the Lionfish small unmanned undersea vehicle. The award supports the Navy’s growing investment in autonomous underwater systems for maritime surveillance, mine warfare, and distributed naval operations.
Huntington Ingalls Expands Lionfish Undersea Drone Production
Huntington Ingalls Industries has received a $36,985,007 contract modification from the U.S. Navy to continue production of the Lionfish Small Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SUUV), reinforcing the Pentagon’s broader push toward autonomous maritime capabilities.
The award was issued to Huntington Ingalls Industries Unmanned Systems in Pocasset, Massachusetts, under a firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-6308. The agreement exercises an option covering additional Lionfish production units, support equipment, and ancillary systems.
According to the Department of Defense announcement, work will primarily be conducted in Pocasset, Massachusetts, accounting for 99% of the effort, with the remaining 1% taking place in Hampton, Virginia. The contract is expected to run through May 2027.
Fiscal 2025 Navy procurement funds totaling nearly $37 million were obligated at the time of award and will remain available beyond the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., serves as the contracting authority.
Growing Demand For Autonomous Undersea Systems
The Lionfish program reflects the Navy’s increasing reliance on unmanned maritime systems as it adapts to evolving threats in contested naval environments.
Small unmanned undersea vehicles are becoming central to modern naval strategy because they can conduct missions that reduce risk to crewed submarines and surface ships. These systems are typically used for mine countermeasures, underwater reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, seabed mapping, and surveillance operations.
The Lionfish unmanned undersea vehicle is based on the commercially derived REMUS 300 platform, a modular autonomous underwater system designed for flexible mission profiles. The Navy selected the platform as part of a broader effort to accelerate fielding timelines by adapting proven commercial technology for military applications.
That acquisition approach aligns with the Pentagon’s ongoing emphasis on rapid capability deployment and lower-cost autonomous systems that can operate in distributed maritime operations.
Why The Lionfish Program Matters
The latest contract modification underscores how autonomous underwater platforms are transitioning from experimental systems into operational naval assets.
The U.S. Navy has been steadily expanding investments in unmanned platforms across surface, air, and subsea domains as part of its future force design strategy. Undersea drones are viewed as particularly valuable in the Indo-Pacific, where vast maritime distances and increasingly contested waters create demand for persistent surveillance and distributed sensing networks.
The Lionfish unmanned undersea vehicle offers several operational advantages:
- Lower operational risk compared to crewed systems
- Ability to conduct extended underwater missions
- Reduced procurement and sustainment costs
- Rapid deployment from multiple naval platforms
- Enhanced situational awareness in contested waters
Defense analysts increasingly view autonomous underwater vehicles as critical force multipliers for future maritime operations. Their ability to operate quietly and persistently in denied environments gives commanders additional options for intelligence collection and maritime security missions.
Navy Expanding Its Unmanned Maritime Portfolio
The Lionfish contract also fits within a broader modernization effort underway across the U.S. Navy’s unmanned systems portfolio.
In recent years, the service has accelerated procurement and testing of autonomous vessels and underwater systems to support distributed maritime operations and hybrid fleet concepts. The Navy’s long-term modernization plans include integrating manned and unmanned platforms into a more networked operational framework.
Programs involving unmanned surface vessels, extra-large unmanned undersea vehicles, and small autonomous drones have received increasing budget attention amid concerns over peer naval competition and the need for scalable maritime surveillance capabilities.
By leveraging smaller autonomous systems like Lionfish, the Navy can expand operational coverage while reducing strain on high-value crewed platforms.
Industrial Base And Production Outlook
For Huntington Ingalls Industries, the award further strengthens its position within the growing unmanned maritime systems market.
Traditionally known for shipbuilding and submarine support programs, the company has increasingly expanded into autonomous and undersea technologies through its Mission Technologies division and unmanned systems business units.
The continued production of the Lionfish system demonstrates sustained Navy confidence in the platform and the industrial base supporting autonomous undersea operations.
With work scheduled through 2027, the contract provides production continuity as the Navy continues evaluating how unmanned underwater systems will integrate into future fleet operations.
