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US Navy Accepts Anti-Mine USVs From Bollinger

An unmanned surface vehicle is craned aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), as a part of the first embarkation of the Mine Countermeasures (MCM) mission package, April 23. The MCM mission package is an integrated suite of unmanned maritime systems and sensors which locates, identifies, and destroys mines in the littorals while increasing the ship’s standoff distance from the threat area. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand)An unmanned surface vehicle is craned aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), as a part of the first embarkation of the Mine Countermeasures (MCM) mission package, April 23. The MCM mission package is an integrated suite of unmanned maritime systems and sensors which locates, identifies, and destroys mines in the littorals while increasing the ship’s standoff distance from the threat area. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand)

An unmanned surface vehicle is craned aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30). Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand/US Navy

Bollinger Shipyards has handed over the first mine countermeasures unmanned surface vehicles (MCM USVs) to the US Navy as part of a contract signed in 2022.

The package includes the first three platforms under the initiative, which were built at the company’s facility in Lockport, Louisiana.

The effort covers the production of nine drone boats, with an option for up to 18 more systems depending on force requirements.

Upon activation, these vessels will be used for autonomous minehunting, minesweeping, and mine neutralization deployments.

Such missions were traditionally assigned to the navy’s MCM-1 or Avenger-class ships, operational since the 1980s. The fleet is usually coupled with the MH-53E Sea Dragon anti-mine helicopters introduced around the same period.

The mine countermeasures ship USS Avenger returns to its forward-deployed base at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo after participating in Exercise Foal Eagle 2011. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Doolin)The mine countermeasures ship USS Avenger returns to its forward-deployed base at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo after participating in Exercise Foal Eagle 2011. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Doolin)
The USS Avenger mine countermeasures ship. Photo: Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Doolin/US Navy

‘Critical’ Assets

The US Navy’s new MCM USVs will reduce the risks of sea mine-related tasks to personnel by undertaking operations without boarding an actual crew.

Another benefit of these platforms comes from their built-in multiple payload delivery systems to carry present and future anti-mine capabilities into the theater.

“Bollinger is proud to deliver the first three full-rate production MCM USVs to the US Navy,” Bollinger Shipyards CEO and President Ben Bordelon stated.

“This milestone demonstrates Bollinger’s ability to deliver highly complex, next-generation capabilities that meet the evolving needs of our naval forces. We’re honored to play a critical role in supporting the Navy’s future force and are proud of our skilled workforce, which makes this possible.”

Modernizing Naval MCM Systems

Bollinger’s shipment to the US Navy follows a contract it signed last February to supply tested materials for live autonomous MCM operations.

The deal was awarded as part of a larger mission package acquisition to bolster the service’s anti-mine capabilities, particularly of its littoral combat ship fleets, while securing “key maritime regions and keeping global shipping lanes.”

Tags autonomous systemsdronesmine countermeasuresmine warfare surface droneminesminesweeperminesweepingsea minesunmanned naval vesselunmanned surface vesselunmanned surface vesselsUS Navy
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