NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Naval Air Systems Command is testing out a new unmanned cargo delivery platform that can transport small amounts of cargo between Navy ships, and a NAVAIR official said Wednesday he expects it to become a program…
Navy Must ‘Expand Our Operational Reach’ Through Tactical ISR
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy no longer has a monopoly on key technologies as it did at the end of the Cold War and now must turn to tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to gain an advantage over adversaries,…
CH-53K Program ‘Actively Working With Israel’ to Send 18 Helos by Mid-2020s
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. government has approved a sale of 18 CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters to Israel, and the program hopes to get them to Israel by the mid-2020s, according to an official. The U.S. State Department cleared the…
UISS Should Achieve IOC by Summer’s End: Official
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy has wrapped up initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) and expects the platform to be ready for fielding by the end of this summer, according to an…
Official: Navy Opposed to More Super Hornets Because Aircraft May Not Be Viable in 2050s
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — A top Navy air warfare official said Aug. 3 the service opposes the addition of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to the budget — which Congress wants to do this year as it done in many previous budgets…
Navy Implements New Process to Standardize Development of Autonomous Unmanned Systems
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Navy is implementing a six-phase process to improve and standardize the development of autonomous unmanned systems, according to an official. Pete Small, program manager for unmanned maritime systems (PMS 406) said Monday at Navy…
LCS Program Office Delivered 5 Ships and Progressed on 6 Others During Pandemic
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Littoral Combat Ship program office was able to deliver five ships and begin early construction on six others during the 17 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a program official said Monday. Howard Berkof, deputy program…
Gilday: Large Scale Exercise 2021 Will Provide ‘Path to the Future’ for U.S. Navy
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy’s massive Large Scale Exercise 2021 kicks off this week and the sea service’s top officer said Monday the exercise represents a “path to the future” for the service. It’s the “biggest exercise we’ve done…
Big Tech in a Small Package: Marines Experiment With SkyRaider UAS
With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan largely in the rearview mirror and a growing emphasis on the Pacific region and littoral operations, the U.S. Marine Corps is committed to returning to its amphibious roots. And that includes a major…
The Coast Guard’s Own COVID-19 Challenges
All of the U.S. armed forces have been heavily impacted by the novel coronavirus — perhaps none more acutely than the U.S. Coast Guard. A service focused on activities such as rescuing stranded boaters, apprehending criminals and boarding vessels for…