Bluefin to build underwater robot for Navy's LCS

Bluefin Robotics has been awarded a subcontract from General Dynamics to design and build an unmanned underwater vehicle that will help crews of the Navy's Littoral Combat Ships to detect and identify enemy-laid surface mines, Bluefin officials said.

The Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (SMCM UUV) system that Bluefin is developing will include two Bluefin-21 UUVs, launch and recovery equipment, a support container, spare parts and ancillary equipment. The UUV will feature Bluefin modular and flexible design, pressure-tolerant subsea batteries and low-noise propulsion technology.

General Dynamics will develop the vehicle's sonar payload.