US Navy Seeks Commercially Available Large UUVs for Snakehead Program

The U.S. Navy is soliciting feedback for commercially available undersea drones similar to its “Snakehead” Large-Diameter Unmanned Undersea Vehicle following a series of legislative and programmatic proceedings.

Based on the solicitation, the Naval Sea Systems Command wants to learn about available LDUUVs, as well as cost drivers and timeframes required to field and deploy the vehicles. The Navy expects to have to modify such drones to meet government requirements.

Snakehead UUVs are expected to be deployed by 2024, Breaking Defense said Wednesday.

The solicitation comes around two months after the Navy canceled the Snakehead UUV development program after over 10 years. According to program manager Capt. Scot Searles, the service needs to align Snakehead with the next-generation SSN(X) submarine program.

Entities interested in submitting proposals must include information like vehicle description, performance, payload capabilities, operations and employment. The deadline for responses is July 31, according to the solicitation posted on SAM .gov.

The new trajectory for the Snakehead project aligns with a 2022 article by Hudson Institute fellow Bryan Clark, which stated that LDUUVs will be a vital part of future undersea operations. According to Clark, Snakehead can deliver extended surveillance and persistence.