The Department of Defense and the US Navy have awarded the US subsidiary of Fincantieri, Marinette Marine (FMM), a contract worth $ 7 million to develop the design and engineering of the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), the future “unmanned” large surface vessels, ie capable of operating without crew on board.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine has been selected together with five other companies, each of which will develop the basic project by August 2021. The contract provides the option for a further phase of study to develop the detailed engineering, which if exercised would extend the duration of work until May 2022.
The award process will follow the pattern of the tender for the 10 new US Navy FFG (X) missile frigates, won by FMM four months ago and which, including options, is worth a total of $ 5,5 billion.
With the result obtained, Fincantieri continues to reap the benefits of a long work started 12 years ago with the acquisition of the yards in America, which in the meantime have been modernized and made more efficient to the point that today they are unquestionably recognized as an excellence in the construction field. naval.
In addition to the recent milestone of frigates, the Group is developing the Littoral Combat Ships program for the US Navy, which involves the construction of 16 ships (10 of which have already been delivered), and the construction of 4 Multi-Mission Surface Combatants (MMSC) units, destined for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of the United States Foreign Military Sales.
FMM represents the spearhead of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), which controls two other shipyards also in the Great Lakes region (Wisconsin) - Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri Ace Marine - and has commercial and government customers, including the Coast Guard.
Image: US Naval Sea Systems Command
