KONGSBERG Wins $54M US Contract for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Norwegian defense and technology group KONGSBERG has secured a $54 million contract modification from the US Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the US Navy for a range of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and related underwater capability components. The award was issued under an existing Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA).

The deal extends KONGSBERG’s ongoing collaboration with DIU and the US Navy. The company presents it as evidence of how its “dual-use portfolio” is translating directly into defense capability for the US armed forces.

The HUGIN family and autonomous underwater systems

According to Naval News, the contract primarily covers delivery of a broad range of AUVs plus associated underwater capability components. The accompanying image shows KONGSBERG’s HUGIN Endurance-class unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

KONGSBERG says it has more than 30 years of experience in autonomous underwater vehicles and builds large-scale AUV systems for both defense and commercial customers. Its HUGIN series has long been used for deep-sea survey, underwater mapping and mine-detection missions.

NOK 1.7 billion in AUV contracts across 2026

KONGSBERG CEO Eirik Lie described the award as a continuation of the company’s work with DIU and the US Navy, saying it “reflects confidence in KONGSBERG’s autonomous underwater technology.”

Camilla Kiss, Executive Vice President and President of the company’s Discovery division, said KONGSBERG has signed AUV contracts worth a combined NOK 1.7 billion (roughly $160 million) across all markets so far in 2026, tying the figure directly to the company’s goal of expanding in undersea warfare.

A clear emphasis on AI and autonomy

Kiss pointed to advances in artificial intelligence, edge processing and autonomy as the factors now enabling more complex, persistent underwater missions. “Autonomous underwater systems are a core part of KONGSBERG’s technology portfolio,” she said, adding that the company intends to keep investing in the field.

The contract does not disclose a delivery schedule, unit quantities or performance period, suggesting that further details of its scope may become public only in the coming months.

Why DIU’s Other Transaction Agreement model matters

The Defense Innovation Unit uses flexible Other Transaction Agreements, outside the traditional procurement process, specifically to pull commercial technology into defense applications more quickly. The model lets prototype-stage technology get tested and scaled with fewer bureaucratic hurdles than a conventional contract would allow.

This added tasking for KONGSBERG signals that the integration of autonomous underwater systems into the US Navy’s operational requirements remains an active, ongoing process — one that fits a broader global trend of unmanned maritime systems becoming a standard part of major navies’ inventories rather than a niche experiment.

A growing market for undersea operations

Autonomous underwater vehicles have increasingly become an alternative or complement to traditional crewed platforms for missions such as survey, surveillance and mine countermeasures. KONGSBERG’s total 2026 AUV contract volume offers a concrete indicator of how large that market has already become.

The US Navy’s investment in this area through DIU is also read as a sign that autonomous underwater technology has moved well past the experimental stage and is now embedded in operational acquisition programs.

Strategic significance for KONGSBERG

KONGSBERG has long pursued a dual-use product strategy spanning defense and commercial markets, and the HUGIN family is one of its most visible examples. Being able to serve both military and civilian customers from the same basic platform spreads R&D costs across different markets and gives the company a competitive edge.

This latest US contract also confirms that the Norwegian firm is becoming an increasingly visible player across NATO supply chains, where it also runs contracts with the US and European allies in air defense and missile technology beyond its naval systems business.

Sources

• Naval News, “KONGSBERG secures US government contract for underwater capabilities”, October 30, 2026 — navalnews.com (used for contract details, statements and information based on KONGSBERG’s press release).