ThayerMahan, a Groton-based developer of autonomous maritime surveillance technology, says it has won a major international defense contract with a key U.S. ally. The deal represents “one of the largest fielded deployments of unmanned acoustic sensing systems supporting persistent undersea surveillance and USW (Undersea Warfare) missions,” according to the company.
The company did not reveal which country has made the order or the size of the deal.
ThayerMahan, which was founded in 2015 by two Navy veterans, has been working to develop autonomous marine surveillance technology. Its Outpost uncrewed surface vehicles listen for ships and subs in the ocean.
The contract involves dozens of Outpost units, along with the company’s TransparenSea processing software. ThayerMahan said it markets its technology as considerably cheaper than traditional crewed vessels doing the same work.
“This award aligns with the need for operationally relevant, fielded capability that delivers consistent surveillance and USW performance,” said Mike Connor, chairman and CEO.
Earlier this month, the company said it had begun manufacturing linear hydrophone arrays at a new, 5,000 square foot production facility in Groton, where it employs around 157 people.
By bringing array manufacturing in-house, ThayerMahan said it has reduced its reliance on outside suppliers for specialized components and gained more control over design iterations and intellectual property.
