ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract for 34 ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles for four partner nations adjacent to the South China Sea. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded a $47.9 million contract on May 31 to…
Navy Orders Reaper ISR Services for Marine Corps
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services though use of Group 5 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to a May 30 Defense…
U.S. 2nd Fleet Declares Initial Operational Capability
NORFOLK, Va. — The U.S. 2nd Fleet declared the command has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) May 29, less than one year after being established by senior military leaders, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs said in a May 29 release….
Navy Advances $65 Million for Materials for 3 MQ-4C Triton UAVs
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has allocated funds for long-lead components for the next production lot of the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, including one for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), according to a May 30 Defense Department…
Navy Deactivates First F-35C Replacement Squadron, Merges With Second
ARLINGTON, Va. — Ceremonies and a flyaway May 23 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, marked the deactivation of the Navy’s first F-35C fleet replacement squadron and its consolidation with the second F-35C FRS as the service moves to conduct…
Navy to Group Zumwalt DDGs, LCS Test Ships, USVs in New Development Squadron
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy established a new unit at Naval Base San Diego on May 22 that will serve as a fount of experimentation for the surface warfare community to accelerate the lethality and combat readiness of the Navy’s…
SAIC to Build Propulsion for Navy Mk48 Torpedo From Scratch
ARLINGTON, Va. — With the U.S. Navy resuming manufacture of Mk48 torpedoes for its submarines after a two-decade hiatus, the engineering effort to restore the industrial capability to build the torpedo has required some resourcefulness on the part of defense…
Marine AV-8B Harrier Attack Jet Crashes Near Cherry Point; Pilot Ejects Safely
ARLINGTON, Va. — An AV-8B Harrier II based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, crashed May 20 near Cherry Branch, according to May 20 and May 21 releases from 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Strategic Communications. The pilot…
Navy, Boeing Studying Block II Version of EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack Aircraft
ARLINGTON, Va. — Boeing is in the wrap-up stages of a trade study and architecture assessment of an upgrade — called Block II — to the Navy’s EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. The upgrade is an effort to enable the…
Navy Mk38 Gun Systems Gaining Co-Axial Small-Caliber Machine Gun
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy is installing a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun on the mounts of its Mk38 chain gun systems, a Northrop Grumman official said. The Mk52 7.62 mm is gas-operated and uses recoil to eject spent cartridges…
