Navy Awards $25M for Stealthy Autonomous Boats Days After Iran Breaks Hormuz Truce

The Navy awards $25M for stealthy autonomous boats days after Iran broke the Hormuz truce as U.S. procurement accelerates for covert maritime capabilities. On July 8, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Oregon-based ReconCraft LLC a $24.96 million firm-fixed-price contract for autonomous low-profile vessels intended for covert maritime reconnaissance, mine warfare support and littoral combat. The award came one day after Iran fired missiles at a third commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, violating a peace agreement signed less than three weeks earlier. The article ties the timing to the Navy’s need for low-signature platforms able to operate in mine-dense and sensor-rich waters without placing sailors at risk. It also describes a militarized adaptation of a semi-submersible hull form and emphasizes that the contract focuses on the autonomous control architecture rather than making the hull design proprietary.