LeidosĀ (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNEĀ®Ā 500 science and technology leader, announced today that it has completed delivery of a cutting-edge autonomous vessel to the U.S. Navy, known as Seahawk. The Office of Naval Research awarded Leidos the cost-plus-fixed fee contract to build the vessel, with an approximate value of $35.5 million, in December 2017. Work was principally performed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
āAs technology continues to accelerate and adversaries become more sophisticated, our customers must constantly evolve,ā said retired Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, Leidos Vice President and Navy strategic account executive. āWe are honored to provide this latest technological advancement to Americaās sailors who fight to keep the seas open and free.ā
Seahawk is a long-range, high-availability autonomous surface vessel with a composite trimaran hull. This medium-displacement unmanned surface vehicle (MDUSV) will enhance capabilities for naval operations. Like Leidosā MDUSV Sea Hunter, Seahawk is substantially larger than other U.S. Navy USVs and has significantly increased capabilities compared to smaller USVs in terms of range, seakeeping and payload capacity. Seahawk is designed to operate with little human involvement, thus providing a forward-deployed and rapid-response asset in the global maritime surveillance network.
āWe didnāt just put an autonomous navigation system onto an existing ship,ā said Dan Brintzinghoffer, Leidos Vice President for Maritime Solutions. āEvery mechanical and electrical system on Seahawk has unique configurations designed to run for months at a time without maintenance or a crew.ā
The trimaranās displacement (fully loaded) is 145 long tons. This includes 14,000 gallons of fuel that can power the twin diesel engines for a substantial length of time. Seahawkās upgraded design follows an evaluation of over 300 lessons learned from Sea Hunter. These upgrades were based on joint evaluations by Leidos and the Navy and include upgraded electrical systems, a payload mounting system and test operator control station.
Seahawk will join SURFDEVRON in San Diego, California.
About Leidos
Leidos is a Fortune 500Ā® information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the worldās toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The companyās 39,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $12.30 billion for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.