ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has selected Boeing to build the Orca extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV). With a $43 million contract modification, the Naval Sea Systems Command ordered four Orcas and associated support elements, a Feb. 13 Defense Department…
U.K. Royal Navy to Establish Permanent Squadron in Middle East; QE to Deploy with U.S. F-35s
ARLINGTON, Va. — The United Kingdom plans to establish a permanent naval presence in the Middle East, putting more ships “East of Suez” and broadening the influence of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth,…
SECNAV Spencer: Navy Problem Solvers ‘Need to Look Outside the Wire’
WASHINGTON — Naval officials need to seek solutions from industry and academia to meet the technological and acquisition challenges of the future, the civilian head of the Navy and Marine Corps said. “One of the drums that I beat to…
Analyst: Navy Needs to Re-Configure Carrier Air Wings for Future Fight
WASHINGTON — The Navy needs to change the structure of its future carrier air wings (CVWs) in the future to meet future threats, particularly in high-end combat against potential adversaries such as China and Russia, a team of defense analysts…
CNO Richardson: ‘Looking at 25-50 years of a maritime-centric world’
WASHINGTON — The role of the U.S. Navy as a diplomatic and economic actor in U.S. foreign policy and execution is as strong as ever and likely to remain so for the next several decades, the Navy’s top officer said….
CNO Richardson: Rail Gun Is a ‘Case Study’ in ‘How Innovation Maybe Shouldn’t Happen’
WASHINGTON — The Navy’s effort to field an electromagnetic rail gun has taken too long to develop but is yielding other technological advances, the Navy’s top officer said. “I would say that rail gun is the case study that would…
CNO: ‘More Sporty Security Environment’ Will Affect Next Force-Structure Assessment
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s top officer said that a forthcoming force structure assessment will reflect the guidance of the National Defense Strategy, the changing security environment and emerging technology. “The security environment has only gotten more sporty, so we’ll…
Navy Begins Competition for New Training Helicopter
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for new training helicopters to replace its fleet of TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters in the Navy’s aviation training command. The Naval Air Systems Command posted the RFP on…
Navy Orders 79 Net-Enabled Harpoons from Boeing
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has exercised a contract option to order 79 Block II+ kits for Harpoon cruise missiles, the Defense Department said in a Jan. 30 release. The $16 million order by the Naval Air Systems Command comprises…
CNO Defends Survivability, Utility of Aircraft Carriers
WASHINGTON — The Navy’s top officer defended the notion of survivability for U.S. aircraft carriers and their battle groups in an era when great power competitors are developing advanced weaponry such as hypersonic missiles. “There is a great virtue to…
