AeroVironment’s VideoRay Joins AEVEX-Led Navy Mine Countermeasure Effort

AeroVironment (AVAV ) said on 8. Oktober 2026 that its wholly owned subsidiary VideoRay is supporting an AEVEX-led team selected for a prototype Other Transaction Agreement following the U.S. Navy and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Mine Countermeasure Modernization Prize Challenge. BlackSea Technologies, now part of AEVEX Maritime Systems, was one of three companies awarded challenge prizes following successful Navy demonstrations, according to the company.

BlackSea Technologies said in its own 1. Oktober 2026 post that the winning AEVEX and VideoRay entry is named FISHER, and the company’s press page also carries its announcement that AEVEX completed its acquisition of BlackSea Technologies. VideoRay also worked with ECS Special Projects Ltd. for the challenge, AV said.

During competitive in-water testing, VideoRay demonstrated an autonomous mine countermeasure remotely operated vehicle (ROV) launched from an AEVEX unmanned surface vessel equipped with an autonomous launch and recovery system. Operators conducted missions over the horizon from a remote ground control station while the system executed vessel transit, station keeping, ROV launch and recovery, target investigation, simulated neutralization, and post-engagement assessment, the company said.

“The Navy demonstrated that commercial technology can move from evaluation to operational planning at a pace that matters,” said Chris Gibson, vice president of underwater uncrewed vehicles for AV. “Mission Specialist Defender gives the Fleet a modular underwater platform that can integrate with different surface vessels and payloads, allowing operators to conduct complex mine countermeasure missions while remaining outside the threat area.”

AV said the challenge sought mature, communications-resilient, and rapidly fieldable commercial capabilities for mine countermeasure missions in contested environments, including bottom mine neutralization and near-surface mine neutralization. Winning systems will be integrated into the Fleet’s autonomous mine countermeasure kits as the service transitions commercial technologies into operational use.

Prize Challenge Design and Terms

DIU’s launch notice, dated 29. Mai 2026, described a $10 million Mine Countermeasures Modernization prize challenge run as a joint partnership between DIU and the Department of the Navy. The initiative was designed to use mature commercial technologies to reacquire and neutralize diverse underwater mine threats from a safe standoff distance, with the aim of being ready for operational deployment in under six months. DIU said the persistence of diverse maritime mine threats in maritime chokepoints introduces significant operational risk for commercial maritime vessels that rely on uninterrupted freedom of navigation, and that the Department of War seeks flexible, stand-off response options designed to keep high-value ships and sailors at a safe distance from threats.

DIU said vendor solutions would be evaluated across three distinct operational tracks — mission, mine type, and position in the water column — through a series of competitive in-water sprints intended to rigorously test commercial hardware in demanding conditions. Selected performers would receive up to $200,000 and an invitation to compete in the on-water testing events, with top performers in each track eligible for awards of up to $3 million. The submission window remained open through 10. Juni 2026, at 23:59:59 Eastern Time, and international participation from qualifying countries was encouraged.

“This is a high-priority mission set for the U.S. Navy, and it is an area we expect to expand rapidly,” said William Mahan, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. He said successful solutions are designed to immediately integrate with the Navy’s suite of mine countermeasure capabilities across the fleet. Jarred Conley, DIU’s Maritime Principal Director, said the effort sought mature, rapidly fieldable commercial solutions that can complete the detect-to-engage kill chain while keeping warfighters entirely out of the threat zone, and that shifting the operational burden to modular, communication-resilient uncrewed systems could drastically increase the speed of mine countermeasure response.

Competition Results and Evaluation

The Department of the Navy’s Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS), in coordination with DIU, announced on 1. Oktober 2026, that prizes went to BeeX, BlackSea Technologies, and Vatn Systems following their successful demonstrations. DRPM RAS said DIU launched the challenge on 28. Mai 2026, and that the timeline from the prize challenge announcement to an active Navy contract was 92 days. It described the challenge’s three operational tracks as near-surface mine neutralization, bottom mine detection, and bottom mine neutralization.

DIU received 80 submissions, selected 11 vendors to compete, and scored performers using a rapid assessment framework developed with Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific – Catalyst, Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One operators, the Mine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measuring team, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, and the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, according to DRPM RAS.

George Saroch, DRPM RAS Program Manager for Mine Warfare, said that through the DIU partnership the effort moved from open call to on-water testing, to contracting options and initial operational planning in less than four months. Dr. Jarred Conley, DIU Portfolio Director for Autonomous Warfare, said fleet involvement was integral throughout the process and that DIU and the Navy are accelerating the transition of commercial technologies into operational use. DRPM RAS said winning systems demonstrated in the challenge will be integrated into the Fleet’s autonomous mine countermeasure kits. DRPM RAS is the organization responsible for the development, requirements, and acquisition of robotic and autonomous systems capabilities across the Department of the Navy.

AV describes Mission Specialist Defender as a modular, open-architecture underwater robotic system designed to support demanding intervention missions and the integration of third-party sensors, manipulators, and specialized payloads. According to the company, the Navy selected Defender as the base platform for its MK20 Defender ROV supporting the Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response program, and in 2024 awarded VideoRay a $92.6 million five-year contract for continued production, sustainment, and development of the platform. That award supports explosive ordnance disposal and expeditionary mine countermeasure missions.