Release from U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific 

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June 23, 2023 

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE WILLIAMTOWN, NSW, Australia – This week, U.S. Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II aircraft flew from California to Australia for the first time for training and operations in the region. Four jets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) departed Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, June 17, and arrived at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia, June 22.

The jets flew a total of approximately 7,800 miles, conducting four stopovers en route. They were supported with cargo and personnel transport by a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, MAG-11, 3rd MAW, and supported with refueling by U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers from the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and 141st Air Refueling Wing, Washington Air National Guard.

“The VMFA-314 Black Knights are beyond excited to bring the first land-based I MEF fifth-generation stealth fighters all the way from California to Australia. Over the past year, we’ve trained in our own Marine Corps F-35Cs with the Royal Australian Air Force F-35As and E-7 Wedgetails in the U.S., and now it is time to train with our valued Allies on their side of the globe,” said Lt. Col. Michael O’Brien, commanding officer, VMFA-314.

VMFA-314 trained with RAAF No. 3 Squadron and their F-35As in Hawaii in December 2022 during exercise Pacific Edge 23. The two units also trained together in the Joint Simulation Environment at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, in February 2023.

The VMFA-314 detachment is slated to conduct unit-level and bilateral integrated training at RAAF Base Williamtown through mid-July.

“This movement and the training to come not only demonstrate the force mobilization capability of the F-35C, but the advanced stage of tactical and logistical interoperability between the RAAF and USMC. We have a long history of security cooperation dating back to World War II, and we are now focused on strengthening our relationship while integrating our most capable, cutting-edge platforms as well,” O’Brien said.  

The Marines and aircraft of VMFA-314 are the first element of a larger U.S. Marine Corps footprint from I Marine Expeditionary Force based in San Diego, California, slated to arrive for training in the region.

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area 

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June 22, 2023 

USCGC Bear (WMEC 901) returns home following 65-day deployment 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The USCGC Bear (WMEC 910) returned home to Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, Thursday, following a 65-day Caribbean Sea patrol. 

While underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Bear conducted six counterdrug interdictions and seized a total of 8,558 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $97 million. 

Bear conducted counterdrug operations as part of a multi-faceted approach to combatting illicit narcotics trafficking across maritime borders. Part of this effort included other Coast Guard assets, a Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron aircrew from Jacksonville, Florida, and a deployable specialized forces unit from the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team. 

Bear also conducted vertical replenishment with the U.S. Navy vessel Little Rock (LCS-9). Little Rock deployed its MH-60 Seahawk helicopter and crew to successfully deliver 5,566 pounds of seized cocaine to Bear’s flight deck. Bear moored in Miami, last Friday, and offloaded the combined 14,153 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $186 million. 

Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Seventh District, headquartered in Miami. Each case will be prosecuted in a court of law. 

For more news on the Coast Guard’s presence in the Caribbean please visit here. 

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit www.GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found at www.uscga.edu. 

Release from the U.S. Navy Office of Information 

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23 June 2023 

The Navy will commission its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), during a 10:00 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, June 24, in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks will also be provided Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations; the Honorable Justin Williams, deputy mayor of the City of Baltimore; and Mr. Charles F. Krugh, president, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.  The ship’s sponsors are Senator Levin’s daughters, Kate Levin Markel, Erica Levin, and Laura Levin. 

The ship’s namesake served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years from 1979-2015. As the longest serving senator in Michigan state history, Levin became a staunch supporter of the armed services through his work and leadership as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Levin passed away on July 29, 2021. 

The ship, which will be homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, will be the 72nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be commissioned, with 17 additional ships currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. The ship is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection and delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare. The USS Carl M. Levin is 509.5 feet long and 59 feet wide, with a displacement of 9,496 tons. It will be homeported in San Diego.  

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on guided-missile destroyer programs can be found at:  https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169871/destroyers-ddg/ 

The ceremony will be live streamed at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/31729. The link becomes active approximately ten minutes prior to the event (9:50 a.m. EDT) 

Release from Northrop Grumman 

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MAGNA, Utah. – June 22, 2023 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully manufactured two thousand solid rocket motors for the U.S. Navy’s Trident II D5 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) system with the completion of first-stage A1000 and second-stage B1000 motors. 

Northrop Grumman has manufactured: 

• More than 800 first-stage tactical motors 
• More than 800 second-stage tactical motors 
• More than 370 third-stage tactical motors since assuming the scope of work in 1996 
• And successfully cast over 86 million pounds of propellant for D5 motors 

The system is provided to the U.S. Navy by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, which develops and produces the missile and support equipment. It has completed 190 successful flight tests since deployment with no motor failures. The Trident II D5 missile will continue to serve as the seaborne leg of the U.S. Nuclear Triad for decades to come. 

Expert: 
Wendy Williams, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman: “Our customers rely on our solid rocket motors to conduct their most important missions. The unmatched reliability, record-breaking mission success and planned life expectancy of the Navy’s SLBM system speaks to the design of the propulsion and our ability to consistently produce critical motors.” 

Details on Trident II D5: 
The Trident II D5 SLBM is a three-stage, solid-fuel, inertially guided missile with a range of 4,000 nautical miles. The missile is launched by the pressure of expanding gas within the launch tube. When the missile broaches the waterline, it enters the boost phase, expending its first, second and third-stage rocket motors. Northrop Grumman manufactures solid-propulsion boost motor systems for all three stages of the Trident II missile under a contract from prime contractor Lockheed Martin. 

For nearly 70 years, Northrop Grumman has partnered with Lockheed Martin and the Navy to provide solid rocket motors for the SLBM system. Completion of motors A1000 and B1000 represents the longevity of the Trident II D5 program, the nation’s commitment to deterrence and the role of the company’s solid rocket propulsion as an essential national security asset. 

As part of the celebration of this milestone, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, Director for Strategic Systems Programs, visited Northrop Grumman’s Bacchus, Utah, campus where the Trident II D5 motors are cast and assembled. 

“The unmatched reliability and performance of our sea-based nuclear deterrent is made possible by a dedicated team of military, civilian and industry partners who bring expertise and dedication to a truly extraordinary mission,” said Vice Admiral Wolfe. “The propulsion systems and their performance are critical to the success of that mission.” 

Northrop Grumman and its legacy companies have supported the Navy’s deterrence mission for over six decades, supplying propulsion for the nation’s Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine-launched systems starting with Polaris, Poseidon C3, Trident I C4 and then Trident II D5, which is less than halfway through its expected service life. 

Release from U.S. Strategic Command 

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Sept. 18, 2021 

This successful test was part of a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation, designated DASO-31. The primary objective of a DASO is to evaluate and demonstrate the readiness of the SSBN’s Strategic Weapon System (SWS) and crew before operational deployment following the submarine’s engineered refueling overhaul. 

“The DASO test, and others like these, underscore our readiness and capability for 21st Century Strategic Deterrence,” said Rear Adm. Thomas E. Ishee, USSTRATCOM director of Global Operations. “SSBN crews undergo constant training and regularly planned testing to ensure the weapons systems remain ready and reliable. The Sailors and support element who make up the silent service prove every day they are capable and prepared to protect America and its allies.” 

This launch marks 184 successful missile test flights of the Trident II (D5 & D5LE) SWS. 

“Today’s [Sept. 17] test demonstrates the unmatched reliability of our sea-based nuclear deterrent, which is made possible by a dedicated team of military, civilian and industry partners who bring expertise and dedication to the mission that is truly extraordinary,” said Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. Further, “This same team is now developing the next generation of the Trident Strategic Weapon System, which will extend our sea-based strategic deterrent through 2084.” 

The Trident strategic weapon system is highly accurate and reliable. The Trident II (D5) missiles recently underwent a life extension program to address potential impacts from aging and obsolescence. The life-extended missiles – Trident II (D5LE) – are now being deployed to the Fleet and will serve for the remaining service life of U.S Ohio-class and United Kingdom Vanguard-class SSBNs, and as the initial load-out for the U.S. Columbia-class and U.K. Dreadnought-class SSBNs. 

USS Maine (SSBN-741) successfully executed the Navy’s last DASO in February 2020 off the coast of San Diego, California. The Navy’s most recent flight test – a Commander’s Evaluation Test – was a series of four launches in February 2021 off the coast of Florida.  Each of these flight tests were of the life-extended Trident II (D5LE) missiles. 

Flight test missiles are not armed, and safety of the public and the crew conducting the mission is paramount.  The launches were conducted from the sea, the missile flew over the sea, and landed in the sea. At no time did the missile fly over land.  

The missile test was not conducted in response to any ongoing world events, nor as a demonstration of power. Test launches – including DASOs – are scheduled years in advance. 

A credible, effective nuclear deterrent is essential to our national security and the security of U.S. allies. Deterrence remains a cornerstone of national security policy in the 21st century.   

Strategic Systems Programs is the Navy command that provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support for the Navy’s strategic weapon systems. This includes training, systems, equipment, facilities and personnel responsible for ensuring the safety, security- and effectiveness of the nation’s Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Trident II (D5LE) strategic weapon system.  

SLBMs are the sea-based leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent Triad that also includes the U.S. Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and nuclear-capable bombers.  Each part of the Triad provides unique capabilities and advantages.    

The sea-based leg makes up the majority – approximately 70 percent – of the U.S.’s deployed strategic nuclear deterrent Triad. The SLBM is the most survivable leg of the triad, provides a persistent presence, and allows for flexible concepts of operations. 

Release from Littoral Combat Ship Squadron TWO 

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MAYPORT, FL, UNITED STATES 

06.21.2023 

Story by Lt. Anthony Junco  

MAYPORT, Fla. – The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7), along with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, detachment 11, got underway June 21 to support operations in U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. 
 
Detroit will support counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Detroit’s operations will involve practical exercises and exchanges with partner nation maritime services, supporting U.S. 4th Fleet interoperability and reinforcing the U.S. position as the regional partner of choice. 
 
“We look forward to building upon the successes of USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) and USS Little Rock (LCS 9) in our return to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility,” said Cmdr. Kyle Hickman, commanding officer of Detroit. “The crew has been extremely dedicated in its preparation and is ready for 4th Fleet tasking.” 
 
The deployment of an LCS to the region aims to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to regional cooperation and security. The LCS’s shallow draft provides unparalleled opportunities for port access, making the ship an ideal vessel for these types of engagements. 
 
Detroit will initially be manned by its crew of more than 100 Sailors, including a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment; and an aviation detachment, who will operate an embarked MH-60 helicopter. 
 
“The crew executed a very difficult training cycle,” said Cmdr. Bruce Hallett, executive officer of Detroit. “They exceeded all expectations.” 
 
LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. It is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. 

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ARLINGTON, Va. — Textron has been demonstrating the capabilities of its Cottonmouth candidate for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) competition and has been granted funding to continue testing through calendar year 2023.

The ARV is to be an amphibious, wheeled armored vehicle to replace the Corps’ current Light Armored Vehicle in its reconnaissance battalions. It is to be equipped as a node in the command-and-control network during expeditionary operations and is to be able to serve as a battlefield quarterback, deploying sophisticated full-spectrum sensors and unmanned systems — including unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vessels—and manned/unmanned teaming.

Textron built and demonstrated an earlier concept demonstrator vehicle, called Alpha, mainly to demonstrate its automotive performance in terrain. The company followed with a company-owned Cottonmouth prototype, in which integration of government-furnished systems was accomplished. The prototype Cottonmouth was mission delivered to the Nevada Automotive Test Center for testing by the Marine Corps in December 2022.

During 2020-2021, Textron built the Alpha prototype with company funding.

“We ran the same test profile that we believed the Marines were going to run on what became our prototype deliverable for their testing under the contract agreement,” said David Phillips, Textron’s senior vice president, Land and Sea Systems, in a June21 interview with Seapower. “We had de-risked it from the standpoint of automotive, rugged, reliable, ran it through all of the cross-country, smoke testing, various different soil types, so that we could submit our proposal to the Marine Corps with actual data, not just paper.”

In September 2021, Textron began fabrication of the deliverable prototype at its Slidell, Louisiana, facility, and began systems integration work at its Hunt Valley, Maryland facility, where “we were able to test out components before actually installing them in the vehicle. The biggest difference between the Alpha prototype — which was mainly automotive — and what delivered and are testing now is the integration of all the capability: all the government furnished radios, communications equipment, computers, cyber, all of the things that make the vehicle a system,” Phillips said.

In September 2022, Textron delivered a “replica systems integration lab” to the Naval Information Warfare Systems – Atlantic in Charleston, South Carolina.

The prototype Cottonmouth was mission delivered to the Nevada Automotive Test Center for testing by the Marine Corps in December 2022.

“The vehicles have performed very well with the Marines,” Phillips said, of the automotive and durability testing it went through. “It accumulated a thousand miles across the variety of relevant Marine Corps mission profiles.”

Phillips said that the prototype’s electronic systems currently are being tested by the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, including “sensing and disseminating data across the battlefield, and beyond the battlefield to the fleet and higher headquarters.”

The ARV prototype was able to operate and communicate with a Group 2 unmanned aerial system at a distance of 50 kilometers, he said, noting that the prototype has accrued 500 hours of testing of the electronic systems.

The vehicle’s swim characteristics “in the plunging surf” were successfully tested at Camp Pendleton, California. In the water the ARV is propelled by waterjets geared to the vehicle’s Cummings diesel engine, said Zach Bupp, Textron’s program director, Land Systems.

The Textron ARV is a “clean-sheet design,” Phillips said, saying that it was the best way for the Marine Corps to have its Tier 1 and 2 requirements met, as well as the “vast majority of their lower-tier requirements.”

He characterized the Textron design as revolutionary rather than evolutionary.

Phillips said that size and weight are critical requirements because of transportability, noting that four Textron ARVs — at 37,00 pound each — could be carried on of the Navy’s LCAC 100-class ship-to-shore connectors.

The Textron ARV rides on six wheels rather than eight, which Philips said reduced the weight and complexity of the vehicle and prosed no problems with operations in the terrain in which it was tested.

He also said his company is doing trade studies of subsystems that could be installed on the Cottonmouth to create a family of systems that could be deployed in an ARV-centric reconnaissance battalion.

Philips said the government’s Milestone B decision for selection and to authorize low-rate initial production is expected during the first or second quarter of calendar year 2025.

Release from the Office of Naval Research 

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New CNR Takes Helm at Office of Naval Research

For Immediate Release: June 21, 2023
By Warren Duffie, Jr., Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va.—The Office of Naval Research (ONR) ushered in a new era of leadership on Friday, June 16, as Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus — was sworn in as the new Chief of Naval Research (CNR).

The change-of-command ceremony took place at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Remarks were given by  the Hon. Frederick Stefany, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, as well as Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

ONR supports science efforts around the world, from basic and conceptual research to applied research and quick-turnaround technologies requested by Sailors and Marines. Established in 1946 by public law, ONR’s mission is to “plan, foster and encourage scientific research in recognition of its paramount importance as related to the maintenance of future naval power, and the preservation of national security.”

“I’m excited by the opportunity to serve the Navy and nation as chief of naval research,” said Rothenhaus. “ONR is a vital organization ensuring the Sailors and Marines we have the privilege of serving have the weaponry and technology needed to prevail, now and in years to come. I feel a sense of urgency, as we face increasingly capable potential adversaries.”

Concurrent with the duties of CNR, Rothenhaus will also serve as the Naval STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Executive.

He takes ONR’s helm after serving as the program executive officer, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I).

Rothenhaus succeeds Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, himself a decorated submarine commander, naval engineer and acquisition officer, who is retiring after a distinguished naval career.

“ONR has an inspiring history of groundbreaking scientific achievements,” said Rothenhaus. “I’m honored to join the team — its sense of mission and passion for innovation are exceptional. I look forward to continuing the terrific work and strategic agility that Rear Adm. Selby and the ONR team have accomplished during his time as CNR.”

Selby had a remarkable tenure as CNR. He assumed his role in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and he implemented a vision for reimagining naval power — “the small, the agile and the many,” which involves small, unmanned, autonomous platforms that can be constructed, tested and adapted quickly; can be built in large numbers; and are less expensive than larger platforms.

To spur faster, more collaborative and more effective testing and experimentation, Selby promoted the ONR-sponsored SCOUT initiative, a multiagency campaign to identify new ways to bring novel capabilities to warfighter challenges, experiment with them in realistic operating conditions, and operationalize them in partnership with the fleet and force.

Selby also helped lead efforts to revitalize the Department of the Navy’s Naval STEM Coordination Office, and he emphasized greater virtual and remote-learning activities in order to remove geographic barriers, increase the number of students reached, and bolster its commitment to diversity.

Warren Duffie Jr. is a contractor for ONR Corporate Strategic Communications.

Release from General Atomics 

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PARIS – 20 June 2023 – As General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) continues towards its development goal of earning Technical Standard Order (TSO) authorization from the FAA for its internally developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system, the company has selected Belgium-based ScioTeq to supply a certified processor and display for its DAA solution. ScioTeq is a proven avionics supplier that was identified as a possible strategic partner at GA-ASI’s Blue Magic Belgium event in 2020. 

Earning FAA certification for its DAA system will help GA-ASI’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) achieve authorization to operate in non-segregated airspace, which will provide greater access for GA-ASI customers to conduct both military and civil missions. Certification of GA-ASI’s DAA capability is an important milestone for its new MQ-9B certifiable UAS. MQ-9B is designed to integrate safely and operate seamlessly in civil airspace, and the aircraft is fitted for the DAA system. 

“GA-ASI’s DAA system is a key capability for our latest MQ-9B SkyGuardian^® and SeaGuardian^® platforms,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “We have made a significant investment in developing a core DAA capability, which distinguishes us from our competitors. This includes an air-to-air radar that enables flexible operations in all classes of airspace for our MQ-9B customers. We are pleased to work with ScioTeq and continue our close relationship.” 

The partnership will introduce a new generation of visualization computing by incorporating ScioTeq’s certified Next-Gen PU-5200 Avionics Display Computer platform and Projected CAPacitive (PCAP) touch-based Rugged Display Unit RDU-4047 into GA-ASI’s Ground Control Station. ScioTeq’s unique MOSArt^® software platform facilitates the integration of GA-ASI’s DAA application on the ScioTeq hardware. 

“ScioTeq has long been delivering 24-inch mission displays for the MQ-9B Certifiable Ground Control Systems, and we are now excited to expand our long-term partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical through this latest collaboration,” said Robb Gibbs, CEO of ScioTeq. 

MQ-9B SkyGuardian is revolutionizing the long-endurance RPAS market by providing all-weather capability and certification with full compliance to STANAG 4671, the NATO UAS airworthiness standard. SeaGuardian is the maritime derivative of the MQ-9B and remains the first UAS that offers multi-domain Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) as an internal payload that can search the ocean’s surface and depths in support of Fleet Operations.  

GA-ASI is striving to obtain the first ever TSO-C211/212 authorization by the end of 2025 using the latest guidance published in RTCA/DO-365/366, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Detect and Avoid Systems.   

Release from Leidos 

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WALLOPS ISLAND, VA (June 18, 2023) – Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a Fortune 500® technology, engineering and science solutions and service leader, announced its Dynetics team has successfully completed a large-scale test for its MACH-TB program. The Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) program is meant to increase the speed of testing for all commercially available hypersonic systems. The program also called for the creation of an experimental glide body (EGB) that will allow the team to gather data on and validate performance of hypersonic glide body components. 

“This successful test has demonstrated first hypersonic insertion of a payload from a commercial launch vehicle and the team is ready to move forward into the next phase of this program,” said Leidos CEO Tom Bell. “It took our MACH-TB team only 49 days to create this innovative technology demonstration, which highlights our ability to deliver on promises.”

The inaugural launch took place on June 17 at 9:24 p.m. UTC from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Rocket Lab was selected by Leidos to provide hypersonic test launch capabilities under the MACH-TB project awarded by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane through the Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS)

“Today marks a significant milestone in our commitment to pushing forward the boundaries of hypersonic innovation,” said Dr. Angie Lewis, NSWC Crane Technical Director. “Our approach will accelerate progress so that the nation has the right capabilities to counter and address the threat landscape today and throughout this decisive decade.”

The next phase of the program will expand upon this successful test to develop additional opportunities to increase the U.S.’ cadence of hypersonic flight testing in support of technology maturation.

“This cutting-edge technology has yet to be developed and is breaking new ground for an important and necessary sector of our industry,” concluded Bell.” Leidos is proud to manufacture a test bed that can provide the U.S. with an advantage in the great power competition.”