NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --The Department of the Navy announced today that Insitu, Inc. has been awarded a $43.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) of the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System.

The STUAS contract award is the culmination of a competitive source selection process supported by personnel from Naval Air Systems Command, Marine Corps Systems Command and the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical UAS program office (PMA-263) in Patuxent River.

“I’m looking forward to fielding the capabilities of STUAS to our forward deployed forces,” said Capt. JR Brown, PMA-263 Program Manager. “This critical system will greatly increase their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in theater.”

Insitu will complete a two-year EMD effort to mature its UAS design to meet the STUAS performance-based specification requirements. They will provide land-based and ship-based assets and associated support to complete integrated test and prepare for production.

The contract includes priced options for an Early Operational Capability and Low Rate Initial Production systems and associated support.

STUAS will provide ISR support for Marine Corps land forces, Naval Special Warfare Command and Navy ships, according to Brown. The system will eventually replace the Navy and Marine Corps ISR services contract, under which current ISR missions are being conducted in Iraq, Afghanistan and during shipboard operations.