US Navy: Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS)

The U.S. Navy's Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) consolidates approximately 50-66 unmanned programs across surface, undersea, air, and ground domains under unified leadership. Established in September 2025 and led by Rebecca Gassler (appointed December 2025), PAE RAS manages roughly $19 billion in acquisitions over five years across unmanned surface, undersea, air, and ground programs. The office was created to accelerate delivery, improve transparency, and align robotic and autonomous systems with Fleet and Marine Corps operational priorities. Notably, the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program was canceled in March 2026 and replaced by a new recurring MUSV marketplace model — skipping prototyping entirely in favor of fielding production-ready platforms faster as part of the Navy's Golden Fleet initiative. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated nearly $5 billion for Navy unmanned programs, including $2.1 billion specifically for medium unmanned surface vessels.

One of PAE RAS's first major active solicitations is the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Family of Systems (FoS) program (Solicitation N00024-26-R-6326). The Navy is seeking production-ready vessels — not prototypes — from companies with expertise in vessel construction, autonomy, perception systems, and maritime operations. Vendors will compete across four components: technical design, business model (including government-owned and contractor-owned options), supply chain and sustainment, and a test plan. Awards include $15 million upon successful on-water testing, with first production vessels expected in FY2027. The solicitation was posted through Other Transaction Authority (OTA) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, with proposals due April 17, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

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