Pottstown-based VideoRay has received a $16.1 million order from the U.S. Navy for its Mission Specialist Defender underwater remotely operated vehicles, as well as all related components for its Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response program.

The Montgomery County manufacturer lists the product’s uses as ranging from the dangerous — defusing explosives — to the benign: cleaning nets for offshore fish farmers.

The latest order increases the total procurement of Mission Specialist Defender vehicles and accessories by the U.S. Navy to $49 million since it entered into a Production-Other Transaction Agreement with the underwater technology company.

“VideoRay is proud to continue to serve our U.S. Navy customers and to have been chosen as the production partner for the MESR program,” said Chris Gibson, VideoRay’s Chief Executive Officer.

The latest order expands the U.S. Navy’s efforts to equip its Explosive Ordnance Disposal units with the Mission Specialist Defender for the MK20 Defender ROV program. The advanced technology provided by these remotely operated underwater vehicles is used by this program to locate and neutralize underwater mines. These mines are currently being deployed near Ukraine and in other maritime war zones.

“The Mission Specialist Defender, from which the U.S. Navy’s MK20 Defender ROV derives, offers modularity and an open systems architecture allowing easy integration of third-party sensors and payloads,” said Gibson.

_____

The VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender in action.