Autonomous underwater vehicle delivery system garners U.S. DIU contract
NewsMarch 26, 2026
MELBOURNE, Fla. L3Harris Technologies reports that it won an Other Transaction Authority OTA) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to deliver its torpedo tube launch and recovery (TTLR) system for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
The modular TTLR system -- which deploys and retrieves the company’s Iver4 900 AUVs through submarine torpedo tubes -- multiplies force capacity from existing submarine hulls and eliminates costly new construction. The system, according to the L3Harris announcement, delivers the first U.S. Navy submarine- and aviation-approved AUV lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology, enabling longer-duration missions with hot-swap capability for continuous operations. TTLR’s interoperability across multiple submarine classes and allied platforms advances the U.S. Navy's manned-unmanned teaming vision and demonstrates AUKUS Pillar 2 collaboration.
“The Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery system is not a future capability, it’s answering combatant commander needs today,” said Nino DiCosmo, President, Maritime, Space & Mission Systems, L3Harris. “Our system is the first to successfully launch and recover AUVs from a submarine, providing commanders flexibility for persistent undersea operations and maintaining essential stealth.”
