NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Textron Aviation is offering a version of its King Air 260 business twin turboprop aircraft to the U.S Navy as a replacement for the service’s Beech T-44C training aircraft, a company official said. Brett Pierson, Textron…
Northrop Grumman Laser Weapon System Completes Deployment on USS Portland
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Laser Weapon System Demonstrator deployed on the U.S. Navy’s amphibious platform dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) has competed its first deployment as the Portland returned to its homeport of San Diego in March. Donna…
HII Official: Company is Confronting Challenges of Inflation and Workforce
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — A senior HII official said he is optimistic for the company’s future, despite the increasing price inflation of materials and the difficulties of attracting skilled labor. HII will “make the ships we deliver more effective and…
Northrop Grumman Looks to Expand Fire Scout Missions
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — With all 36 planned MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopters delivered to the Navy, the manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, is looking at expanding the range of missions the Fire Scout could provide. Scott Weinpel, Northrop Grumman’s business development…
Marine Corps CH-53K Set for Initial Operational Capability in 2022
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Marine Corps expects the CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter to reach initial operational capability “in several months,” the Navy program manager said. Marine Col. Jack Perrin, the program manager, said that the first fleet CH-53K…
Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAV Back on Track With New Capability, Planned Orders
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy’s MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle is on track for initial operational capability with the new Integrated Functional Capability 4 (IFC-4) with a full orbit of four aircraft in fiscal 2023, a senior…
Navy’s AARGM-ER Missile Tracking Toward 2023 IOC
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.— The Navy’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) is tracking toward an initial operational capability of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, the Navy program manager said. The Northrop Grumman-built AGM-84G AARGM-ER is a growth of the…
Ultra’s ASW Sonobuoy Business Booming
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The return of great power competition, which some call a new Cold War, is a bull market for the antisubmarine warfare sonobuoy business. Sonobuoys — expendable floating sensors fitted with acoustic receivers, transmitters or both —…
Bell Offers Manned, Unmanned Tiltrotors for Navy’s Next Rotorcraft
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Bell, a Textron company, is marketing its manned and unmanned tiltrotor aircraft to be the eventual replacements for the Navy’s MH-60R/S helicopters. Carl Forsling, Bell’s senior manager for military sales and strategy, told Seapower April 4…
Navy’s CVM-22B Aircraft Adds Medevac Speed to Carrier Strike Group
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Navy’s new CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor carrier-onboard delivery aircraft’s capabilities have been a game-changer for medical evacuation from a carrier strike group, the Navy’s V-22 program official said. The CMV-22B, which is replacing the catapult-launched…
