Leidos Australia Begins Local Production of Autonomous Sea Archer Vessel

Leidos Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) is one of the best IT stocks to invest in according to hedge funds. On September 8, Leidos Australia announced that it began local production of the Sea Archer, which is a new-generation small uncrewed surface vessel/USV. The initiative is a major step toward bringing Leidos’ autonomous maritime technology to the Indo-Pacific region and supports the goals of the AUKUS security partnership and the Australian Defence Force.

The Sea Archer USV is designed for high-speed, long-range missions, with sprint speeds of up to 40 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles. It has a flexible payload bay capacity of more than 900 kg, allowing it to support a variety of missions, including strike, logistics resupply, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/ISR, and electromagnetic deception operations. The vessel is powered by Leidos’ LAVA advanced autonomy platform.

The Australian production will utilize local supply chains, from the build to payload integration and maintenance, in an effort to create a robust sovereign ecosystem and enable rapid production. The NSW Central Coast-based company Oceans Rivers Lakes has been contracted to build the first aluminum vessel, with construction already underway. The Sea Archer is undergoing sea trials in the U.S. and is expected to be mission-ready by 2026.

Leidos Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) provides services and solutions for government and commercial customers in the US and internationally.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.