Corroborated contract 2026-09-10 €7m
American Rheinmetall has secured a $7.28 million contract to deliver 12 Mission Master SP autonomous ground vehicles and five amphibious kits to the U.S. Marine Corps, with the Defense Logistics Agency managing procurement and ADS Inc. as prime contractor. The vehicles will be used in expeditionary operations by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.
Why it matters: The Corps is buying European autonomous platforms in small batches for experimentation—sensible, but 12 vehicles won't tell you much about logistics or maintenance at scale.
Corroborated contract 2026-09-02 €645k
American Rheinmetall secured a $710,000 subcontract from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to produce machined components for the MCT-30 medium-caliber turret fitted to the US Marine Corps' ACV-30 amphibious combat vehicle. Work will be performed at American Rheinmetall's Michigan facilities with deliveries throughout 2026.
Single source contract 2026-08-13
Thales Defense & Security, Inc. received a contract to supply more than 400 Minerva thermal imaging cameras to the US Marine Corps, European Security & Defence reports.
Why it matters: European EO/IR on USMC vehicles is quiet export success — the kind that rarely makes a headline but fills production years.
Single source procurement notice 2026-08-11
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus unmanned underwater vehicle has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation, with further demonstrations planned with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
Why it matters: The European hook is the demo circuit — NATO and AUKUS are where undersea autonomy gets shopped before European yards write their own RFPs.
Single source contract 2026-08-10
The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Epirus a contract worth about $11 million for a vehicle-mounted high-power microwave system intended to defeat drone swarms. Reporting describes HAVOC as moving toward a production-ready configuration, including a universal sled mount for manned and unmanned vehicles, after Marine Corps testing.
Why it matters: Directed-energy C-UAS is shifting from demos to funded, mountable kits that services can actually field with ground vehicles.