The U.S. Navy has awarded ReconCraft LLC a $24.96 million contract to build a fleet of autonomous low-profile vessels, extending the service's push to acquire small, stealthy uncrewed surface craft in volume. The contract was announced on July 7, 2026, with work performed in Clackamas, Oregon and completion targeted for November 2028.
An unusual USV lineage
Low-profile vessels — sometimes called "narco subs" for the criminal versions the Navy has previously modelled — sit low in the water, presenting a small radar and thermal signature that makes them hard to detect. ReconCraft is turning that operational profile into an uncrewed, autonomous platform for surveillance, interdiction and payload delivery in littoral waters. The Oregon-based boatbuilder is best known for law enforcement patrol boats but has moved decisively into defence over the past two years.
Part of a wider USV push
The award lands as the Navy prepares to launch the next phase of its medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) marketplace on August 1, using modular design principles to allow rapid capability updates. Recent buys include Textron's Tsunami USV, Saronic's Corsair, and the growing "kamikaze drone boat" cohort — all part of what Navy planners describe as a shift toward asymmetric maritime capability.
What comes next
ReconCraft has not disclosed how many hulls the $24.96 million buys, or which sensor and comms suites it will integrate for the Navy. Delivery through November 2028 gives the service a stealthy sea-surface partner to complement submarine-launched systems like MEDUSA and larger USVs coming out of Textron and Saronic.
Reporting based on coverage from Military Embedded Systems.