DLBA, a Gibbs & Cox Division, Advances to the Next Phase of DARPA’s Long-Endurance Unmanned Surface Vessels Program

Now named to perform additional work in Phase I, the team will be creating the preliminary concept design at a rapid pace which will include the integration and evaluation of the components revealed during the initial concept development stage. With technical specifications and drawings in hand, the company will build a scale model to test hydrodynamic capabilities.

“We are exceedingly pleased that DARPA is recognizing our efforts and is continuing to trust our team to carry this project with additional work in Phase I,” said Dr. Justin Lorio. “Our team has been developing concepts and designs for decades and we understand surface vessels. We are looking forward to integrating these enabling capabilities into designs that will be lasting for the U.S. Navy.”

Gibbs & Cox was selected for the concept development phase, in October 2020. During that initial stage, the team along with additional industry subject-matter experts, explored the various domains of unmanned boat-building: hull, mechanical and electrical systems; self-adaptive health monitoring and predictive analytics; power generation, distribution, and energy storage; as well as advanced depot based maintenance concepts. Clean-sheet vessel design has been the focus without any provision for crew on board. This nine month concept development stage ended in June 2021.

The next and final phase will be detailed design and delivery of an “X-ship” seaframe that can be used for demonstration, testing, and future ship design experiments. 

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DLBA Naval Architects is an operating Division of Gibbs & Cox, Inc. focusing on small craft, high performance craft, and advancement of maritime technologies.  Gibbs & Cox is the largest naval architecture and marine engineering firm in the United States. Since our founding in 1929, 24 classes of combatants and nearly 7,000 vessels have been built to G&C designs. We proudly support military and commercial clients in the U.S. and internationally with all phases of marine design, construction, and lifecycle management.  Our passion is solving our customers’ 21st century maritime challenges with quality and integrity.  Gibbs & Cox is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos.

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