Navy chooses firms to build minesweeper robots

Seven firms will share Navy contracts worth about $1.5 billion altogether for work on robot minesweepers.

The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts individually range in maximum value from $174 million to $228 million if all options are exercised, according to the Department of Defense contract announcement. The three-year contract includes two one-year options.

The contracts call for design, fielding and maintenance of unmanned maritime systems to conduct mine countermeasures both at the surface and underwater, according to the Navy.

The winning companies are Exelis, Applied Research Associates, Camber Corp., SAIC, Lockheed Martin, MAR Range Services, and Mantech.

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