AEVEX Corp. announced that its Maritime Systems division has been awarded two contracts totaling $41.6 million by the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) for the production, fielding, and operation of the SightGlass and Fisher mine countermeasures (MCM) systems. The systems expand MCM capabilities across the U.S. Navy’s existing Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) fleet and AEVEX’s newer Lynx and next-generation Chaser small unmanned surface vessels (sUSVs).

The awards are the result of AEVEX Maritime Systems’ performance in the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Mine Countermeasures Prize Challenge, as well as earlier rapid integration of mine hunting capabilities with GARC at the outset of Operation Epic Fury.

The first contract, valued at $15.6 million, covers production and operation of SightGlass. The second, valued at $26 million, covers production and operation of Fisher.

SightGlass is a modular mine-hunting and identification payload designed for AEVEX’s GARC, Lynx, and next-generation Chaser sUSVs. Following successful test and evaluation by the Navy and DIU, AEVEX sUSVs are now a key component of the Navy’s robotic and autonomous mine countermeasures capabilities.

Fisher is a modular payload designed to reacquire and neutralize mines and is designed for Lynx and Chaser sUSVs. Lynx sUSVs equipped with SightGlass and Fisher MCM capabilities are designed to operate in tandem to locate, identify, and neutralize multiple classes of maritime mines. The Fisher payload is the product of a partnership with VideoRay and leverages the global fleet of sUSVs AEVEX has already delivered to the Navy.

“Mines are cheap to deploy but expensive to clear, and the threat is growing,” said Bob Pudney, Senior Vice President, AEVEX Maritime Systems. “DIU asked industry to prove it could change that equation, and our team did it on the water, not just on paper. These awards let us put SightGlass and Fisher to work at scale for the warfighter.”

As the U.S. Navy develops and deploys the next generation of mine countermeasures, systems like SightGlass and Fisher provide the fleet with remote and autonomous means to find and clear mines.

The awards build on AEVEX Maritime Systems’ established operational record, including the delivery and fielding of 325 GARC vessels to the U.S. Navy and more than 25,000 hours of on-water operations. They further demonstrate continued Navy investment in enhancing fielded autonomous systems, expanding their multi-mission capabilities, and advancing next-generation maritime platforms to meet evolving operational requirements.