Seasats Secures $24M APFIT Award to Scale Autonomous Naval Vessel Production

New updates have been reported about Seasats.

Seasats has been awarded $24 million under the Department of War’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, positioning the San Diego-based company to ramp up production and deployment of its long-endurance autonomous surface vessels (ASVs). Recommended by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, the award provides direct procurement funding—rather than R&D capital—to move Seasats’ already developed systems into wider operational use, with an explicit focus on reducing long-term program costs through scaled manufacturing. The APFIT program, launched in FY2022 to speed fielding of mature technologies from smaller and non-traditional defense suppliers, is intended to compress the transition from prototype to operational capability, giving Seasats a faster path to recurring government demand and potential follow-on contracts.

The award builds on a year of expanding engagement between Seasats and the Department of the Navy, including an $89 million SBIR Phase III contract, rapid prototyping efforts, and operational demonstrations in U.S. and allied waters. Seasats’ Lightfish platform recently completed a record-setting transatlantic mission for the Navy, underscoring the endurance and reliability of its technology stack. CEO Mike Flanigan said the APFIT funding will allow the company to scale production capacity, lower unit and lifecycle costs for government customers, and accelerate delivery of maritime autonomy capabilities to the fleet. Seasats is also broadening its product line beyond Lightfish with the Quickfish high-speed interceptor and the Heavyfish heavy-lift, long-endurance vessel expected to debut in the fall, both leveraging the same proven autonomy architecture. For defense and government stakeholders, the combination of APFIT-backed procurement, an existing large SBIR contract, and an expanding operational track record indicates that Seasats is moving from niche trials toward sustained program-of-record relevance in the maritime autonomy market.