Overview
- The Department of the Navy announced Wednesday the creation of a Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) to centralize requirements, budgets, and contracting for unmanned programs.
- Christopher Miller was named acting DRPM RAS and will also serve as acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for RAS, replacing Rebecca Gassler who was removed from the PAE RAS job after about eight months.
- The Navy is keeping a tight prototyping timeline for the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) and wants to begin prototype testing by the end of September as part of a roughly $5 billion FY2027 drone effort.
- Two companies have sued over recent MUSV competition decisions, a Pentagon DRPM for unmanned systems has excluded MUSV from its oversight, and oversight lines between the Pentagon and the Navy remain unsettled.
- The DON is reviewing whether to move DRPM RAS staff out of Washington to work closer to Fleet operators, a step meant to improve operational feedback, industry engagement, and faster fielding of RAS capabilities.