SubSea Craft unveils MARS USV modular payload cassette system

British advanced maritime technology company SubSea Craft (SSC) has unveiled a new modular payload cassette system for MARS, their compact Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), enabling the delivery of mission-configurable effects in contested environments.

Designed for expeditionary operations, the new patent-pending system uses dedicated cassettes which can be installed, removed and exchanged by a two-person team whilst deployed. This allows MARS to be quickly reconfigured for different missions, reducing integration timelines and accelerating the introduction of new payloads.

How user insights have helped frame the design of the new system

The cassette system has been informed by end user engagement, supporting MARS’ ability to adapt to evolving operational requirements while maintaining a simple and deployable operating concept.

Potential payload cassettes include loitering munitions, miniature torpedoes, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), sonobuoys and other mission-specific equipment, all delivered from the same core platform.

Facilitating payload integration without the need for vessel modification

The payload cassette system has already supported the successful integration of the Anduril ALTIUS loitering munition, demonstrating MARS’ ability to rapidly integrate and deploy new effectors through a simple cassette exchange without modification to the vessel itself.

Tom Harkin, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’ve designed the cassette system to make payload integration as simple as possible. Rather than making changes to the vessel every time a new payload is introduced, operators can swap cassettes quickly and easily. It gives MARS the flexibility to evolve as mission requirements change while keeping the platform itself unchanged.

“The ability to rapidly integrate and deploy new payloads and effectors is becoming increasingly important. The cassette system supports that approach and gives users far greater flexibility in how they configure and employ MARS.”