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The U.S. Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response (MESR) is set to bolster its subsea explosive clearance capabilities with the MK20 Defender Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from VideoRay LLC.
Administered by Naval Information Warfare Command, Pacific, the new contract provides for the delivery and support of the Navy’s next-generation ROVs, which will be used to conduct critical undersea missions and support warfighters.
The MK20 Defender ROV, based on VideoRay’s Mission Specialist Defender, is a highly robust, man-portable, expeditionary ROV that offers modularity and an open architecture design.
The open architecture allows for the easy integration of third-party subsea sensors, software applications, and versatile, field-swappable payload options to meet the Navy’s expanding needs for expeditionary mine countermeasure operations.
Core technology onboard this platform has been developed by industry partners and includes:
- EOD Workspace control software and autonomy platform by Greensea IQ
- Multibeam sonar and USBL positioning system by BluePrint Subsea
- Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) for navigation by Nortek
- A 2-function manipulator by Eddyfi
These combine to significantly expand vehicle capabilities while maintaining the size, weight, and power (SWAP) specifications required to meet the Navy’s challenging requirements.
The $92.6M USD five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract provides access to VideoRay’s Mission Specialist family of underwater robotics systems. This will support the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Underwater Response Vehicle program and the MESR program of record.
Designed and built in Pottstown, Pennsylvania and serviced from the company’s Pottstown and San Diego, California offices, the Mission Specialist Defender has become the cornerstone of VideoRay’s Mission Specialist family of products. It boasts a rapidly growing number of domestic and international, defense and commercial users worldwide.
Chris Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of VideoRay, said; “This production contract with the U.S. Navy marks an exciting new chapter for VideoRay, acknowledging the dedication and hard work of our team to achieve this significant milestone.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Navy and to receive valuable feedback, which has been instrumental in continuously enhancing our next-generation Expeditionary EOD and MCM systems to meet the fleet’s requirements. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the U.S. Navy, along with our partners to advance our technology and capabilities to meet the needs of our defense and commercial customers alike worldwide.”
