The US Navy has awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract jointly to Sharrow Engineering and Materials Sciences Corporation (MSC) for the development of next-generation torpedo propulsor.
Under the SBIR project, financed by Navy Topic N24A-T007, the two companies will co-develop an advanced propulsor for the Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo.
The project’s goals include boosting propulsion efficiency, reducing the acoustic footprint, and enhancing hydrodynamic stability for undersea operations.
Sharrow Engineering founder and CEO Greg Sharrow said: “This is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to modernise naval propulsion. We’re proud to collaborate with MSC and apply our patented closed-loop-blade technology to support a quieter, more efficient, and tactically superior torpedo propulsion system.”
The contract brings together Sharrow Engineering, a company with expertise in propeller designs, and MSC, which is into advanced materials and composite design and manufacturing.
Collaboratively, these companies aim to innovate torpedo propulsion technologies to enhance the capabilities of the US Navy.
MSC chief technical officer Luke Colone stated, “This effort brings together the best of both worlds—Sharrow’s hydrodynamic innovation and MSC’s expertise in advanced non-metallic materials.”
Work has commenced at Sharrow’s research and development facility in Detroit and MSC’s headquarters in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
In July 2025, Stratom, an autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems developer, received a US Navy SBIR Phase I contract.
This contract involves developing a fully autonomous refuelling system for uncrewed naval vessels.
The project will use Stratom’s deployable onboard refuelling interface, which facilitates refuelling of uncrewed surface vehicles without requiring human intervention.
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