A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Navy improperly excluded drone-boat maker Saildrone from competing for a potentially lucrative contract to build a new type of unmanned vessel. The decision is a rare win for a company challenging a government bidding process, as most such protests do not prevail.
Saildrone, based in Alameda, California, entered the competition earlier this year. After the initial phase, the Navy barred it from demonstrating its vessel at sea, ending its chances of being selected for the program.
Saildrone and fellow drone-boat company Blue Water Autonomy challenged the Navy’s evaluation process in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington. In an opinion dated Nov. 3, Judge Philip S. Hadji found that the Navy had treated Saildrone differently from other bidders and had acted arbitrarily in reviewing its proposal.
The judge reached a different conclusion about Blue Water Autonomy, finding that the Navy’s evaluation and elimination of the company were reasonable and denying its protest.
Sources: The New York Times Business.