Barracuda

Abstract

The Barracuda program provides an expendable, low cost, and unmanned mine neutralization capability against previously located near-surface mines with the potential to address other targets. Barracuda is a mine neutralization system with the form factor of an A-size sonobuoy. It is a modular weapon that will be stored and assembled on LCS, will be deployed from the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MCM USV), and will maintain communications with the operator on LCS while autonomously re-acquiring mines in the near surface and await a fire command from the operator on board LCS. An Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) for near surface mine neutralization requirements was conducted in June 2015 and Barracuda was selected. The Barracuda Capabilities Development Document (CDD) was approved on September 2016. The Barracuda program achieved Milestone B on 12 April 2018. The Department awarded a cost-plus incentive contract for the Barracuda detail design, development, test, and qualification to Raytheon (Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, RI) on April 17, 2018, with an awarded value of $84.8 million. The maximum contract value for Barracuda detailed design and development to include all EDMs, LRIP units, and support equipment is $364.3 million, with a period of performance through November 2022. The program has conducted system functional and requirements reviews in November 2018 and a preliminary design review in March 2019. A critical design review is scheduled for March 2020, which precedes the start of qualification and performance testing. Barracuda provides the only near surface mine neutralization system that will allow the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Mission Package (MP) to fully meet its two mine hunting performance requirements. Initial Barracuda deployment will be on the MCM USV as part of the LCS MCM MP.

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
2989_0603502N_4_1319_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

  • Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy

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