Textron Systems wins DIU contract for Tsunami USV

The US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has contracted Textron Systems for its Tsunami USVs. The deal is part of an experimentation programme and could feed into another COCO ISTAR contract.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on May 1, 2026.

Textron System (NYSE:TXT) has been awarded a DIU contract to deliver multiple Tsunami uncrewed surface vessels (USV) to the US 4th Fleet.

According to an April 30 press release, the USVs will be deployed to support a US Navy Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) exercise in Key West, Florida. The contract also includes “three months of joint operations with SOUTHCOM and the US Navy Fourth Fleet,” the press release states.

The Tsunami USVs will be deployed from a Littoral Combat Vessel and conduct ISR with the Aerosonde® 4.7 VTOL UAS. Aerosnade is a mid-sized UAS from Textron designed for maritime and land deployments.

Furthermore, the FLEX exercise is expected to demonstrate Invariant Corporation’s Surface-to-Air Kinetic Engagement (STAKE) system. A weapon designed for manned-unmanned surface warfare.

The contract also establishes the basis for a contractor owned contractor operated (COCO) model with the Tsunami USV. There is also an opportunity for government owned contractor operated operations, the press release adds. This would facilitate rapid fielding to the US Navy of novel systems.

A similar approach is being taken with airborne ISR. Under recent announcements, Shield AI and AeroVironment are joining Textron and Insitu as potential bidders for COCO airborne ISR services to the US Navy.

The announcement adds to the growing number of companies bidding for US Navy USV requirements. Textron has something of an advantage as the incumbent developer of the service’s Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle and the resultant Mine Countermeasures USV.

Calibre comment: USVs and experimentation

You may have noticed that a lot of USV procurement is currently related to experimentation. It is less the case of mine countermeasures as remote and automated platforms have been used in that role for decades. But when it comes to integration into a crewed surface fleet, most of the work is experimental.

There are a lot of reasons for this from the very technical aspects through to organisational. For instance, establishing that the Tsunami USV can be deployed from a Littoral Combat Vessel and work with the Aerosnade UAS is a valuable technical experiment. It helps the US Navy establish what a USV/UAS combination can be used to achieve. But beyond that, there are more complex questions to answer such as deciding who is responsible for a USV. Is it a weapon if it carries missiles, or is it a sensor, for example. This might sound strange, but deciding these matters is important for a large navy. So, the COCO model helps to address this to some extent. The contractor is responsible for the USV, the US Navy just needs to process its data.

The lead image shows the Tsunmai USV. Credit: Textron Systems.