Herndon, VA, (December 9, 2025) – HawkEye 360, the global leader in signals intelligence data and analytics, today announced that the US Navy has renewed its contract with the company for a fourth consecutive year under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative. The $98.8 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract extends the U.S. Navy’s access to HawkEye 360’s commercial radio frequency (RF) data and analytics for vessel detection and monitoring over key areas of interest throughout the Pacific. 

“This renewal represents a vote of confidence in the partnership between the U.S. Navy and HawkEye 360 and an investment in future innovative solutions,“ affirms Andy Charles, General Manager for the Department of War, HawkEye 360. “With the pace at which commercial companies can move, especially one so mission-focused as HawkEye 360, this action welcomes a host of technological advancements through IPMDA to drive information sharing and Coalition command and control to the speed of modern warfare.” 

HawkEye 360’s RF signals intelligence supports the Department of Defense’s efforts to identify and characterize vessel behavior, detect illicit maritime activity, and share insights with allied partners to promote regional stability. The company’s data is integrated into operational tools that help users gain a more complete picture of vessel movement and maritime dynamics over vast ocean areas. 

“Our ongoing partnership with the US Navy represents a shared commitment to advancing maritime domain awareness and supporting the missions of our partners across the Indo-Pacific,” said James G. McAden, General Manager, Asia Pacific, HawkEye 360. “We’re proud to be entering our fourth year of collaboration, delivering advanced RF data and analytics that strengthen situational awareness and decision-making for maritime security operations.” 

HawkEye 360’s constellation detects, characterizes, and geolocates RF signals from ships and other emitters worldwide, creating a powerful data layer that complements existing maritime information sources. When combined with other data streams, HawkEye 360’s signals intelligence helps defense and intel users identify potential “dark vessels,” uncover patterns of activity, and build a consistent, shared operating picture across the region. 

From U.S. Coast Guard Southwest District Public Affairs, Dec. 15, 2025 

SAN DIEGO — The crew of USCGC Active (WMEC 618) offloaded approximately 27,551 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of $203.9 million, in San Diego, Monday.  

This offload resulted from three separate interdictions of suspected drug-smuggling vessels in international waters off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Two of the three interdictions were conducted by Active crew members and one by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro crew members.   

“I could not be prouder of this crew,” said Cmdr. Earl Potter, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Active. “Their determination, resilience, and professionalism make it possible to complete these dynamic and dangerous missions at sea. The conditions are tough, hours are long, and demands are high, but this team always maintains focus. The crew’s commitment to protecting our nation and keeping drugs off our streets is what defines the Active’s legacy.”  

The interdictions were conducted as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a Coast Guard surge effort aimed at disrupting transnational criminal organizations and reducing the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States. These operations play a key role in protecting U.S. communities from the effects of cocaine and synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl.  

“The Coast Guard is escalating the fight against narco-terrorism and trans-national criminal organizations flooding our nation with deadly drugs,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area and commander, Coast Guard Southwest District. “By continuing to surge resources to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in coordination with international and interagency partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is making historic strides toward dismantling the smuggling networks that threaten the safety and security of the American people.”    

Active is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Port Angeles, Washington. Equipped with two small boats, the cutter supports missions across the Eastern Pacific, including search and rescue, counter-narcotics operations, living marine resources, and homeland defense.  

Release from Northrop Grumman

In just 45 days, Northrop Grumman paired the AN/AQS-24 minehunting system with an unmanned surface vehicle 

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Dec. 15, 2025 – (PHOTO RELEASE) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) successfully demonstrated the integration of its proven AN/AQS-24 minehunting system with a Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MCM USV), addressing the U.S. Navy’s growing need for an uncrewed, towed MCM solution. Just 45 days after signing a contract with the Navy, Northrop Grumman began open-water testing in Panama City to demonstrate the high-performing, helicopter-towed AN/AQS-24 can effectively pair with a MCM USV. The U.S. Navy confirmed that the AN/AQS-24 meets all primary government objectives for a safer and more efficient mine-hunting capability. 

Release From U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District External Affairs, Dec. 12, 2025

Download video here and here. 

HONOLULU – The crew of USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) returned to Honolulu Saturday following an 81-day patrol in support of Coast Guard Oceania District’s Operation Blue Pacific. 

The Harriet Lane crew departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in September to conduct joint operations and territorial integrity missions across Oceania. Patrolling more than 16,000 nautical miles throughout Oceania to include the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, and American Samoa, the cutter’s crew worked alongside interagency and Pacific Island partners to deter transnational criminal organization activities, facilitate the flow of commerce, and protect critical ocean resources. 

“This patrol was a resounding success for the crew of Harriet Lane and reinforced the Coast Guard’s commitment as a trusted partner across Oceania,” said Cmdr. Justin Matejka, commanding officer, Harriet Lane. “It was a pleasure to partner with the many professional officers from multiple Pacific Island Countries to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and transnational criminal organization activity. I am proud of the crew’s incredible commitment to operational success and look forward to being a part of Harriet Lane’s growing impact across the region.” 

The Harriet Lane crew exercised partnerships with the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Tonga through bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements, professional exchanges, and domestic federal maritime law enforcement operations. In total, the Harriet Lane crew and Pacific Island enforcement officers conducted 31 boardings of fishing vessels, resulting in 20 potential violations. 

The crew conducted 15 additional high seas boarding and inspections on commercial fishing vessels, resulting in 2 potential violations of conservation and management measures under the Western and Central Fisheries Commission. 

Enhancing diplomatic relationships within the Pacific Quadrilateral Defence Coordinating Group, the Harriet Lane crew also integrated Royal New Zealand Navy sea riders for a portion of the patrol. 

Harriet Lane’s visit to Tonga included strategic discussions with Defense and Foreign Minister, Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation to address maritime security threats and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity in the region. 

Commissioned in 1984, Harriet Lane is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Honolulu to support Coast Guard missions in the Pacific region. The service’s medium endurance cutter fleet supports a variety of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime defense, and protection of the marine environment. 

Release From AeroVironment

POTTSTOWN, Pa. – December 11, 2025 — AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leading provider of underwater robotic systems, today announced it has been awarded a $4.8 million United States Coast Guard contract through its wholly owned subsidiary, VideoRay, to deliver Mission Specialist Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of the Service’s Force Design 2028 modernization initiative.  

The Defender will enhance the Coast Guard’s maritime response capabilities by enabling rapid underwater inspections, pier inspections, hull assessments, subsurface infrastructure surveys, disaster response and search and rescue operations in challenging environments—reducing diver risk while increasing mission safety, operational efficiency, and fleet readiness.  

“The selection of the Mission Specialist Defender reinforces our ability to deliver proven technology to address the most demanding defense and security missions,” said Chris Gibson, Chief Executive Officer at VideoRay. “Customers have come to depend on VideoRay when failure is not an option. As AV’s maritime pillar, we’re proud to contribute to the organization’s all-domain uncrewed systems strategy to ensure the safety and security of our forces.”  

As part of Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard established the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Program Executive Office to rapidly integrate unmanned and robotic technologies across all missions, including investments in robotics and autonomous systems designed to build a more agile, technology-enabled, and globally ready force for the evolving maritime domain.  

AV’s $4.8 million award—the largest award of the $11 million executed in fiscal year 2025 for rapid autonomous fleet upgrades—will strengthen Coast Guard operations with proven, advanced maritime robotics. The selection of the Mission Specialist Defender builds on the company’s expanding track record with U.S. and allied defense customers, including the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response (MESR) program.  

“These unmanned systems provide increased domain awareness, mitigating risk and enhancing mission success as the Coast Guard continues to operate in hazardous environments,” said Anthony Antognoli, the Coast Guard’s first RAS program executive officer, in a separate release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in September 2025. “The Coast Guard’s mission demands agility, awareness and adaptability. Robotics and autonomous systems deliver all three, enabling us to respond faster, operate smarter and extend our reach where it matters most. We are not waiting for the future to arrive. We are delivering it to the fleet today.”  

Built on a modular, open-architecture design, the Mission Specialist Defender allows operators to easily integrate advanced sensors, manipulators, and specialized payloads. This flexibility ensures adaptability to evolving mission requirements, while field-swappable modules enable on-site maintenance and repairs—minimizing downtime and maintaining operational tempo.  

Details regarding the Mission Specialist Defender can be found at: https://videoray.com/products/mission-specialist-defender  

Release From Teledyne FLIR Defense

Will deliver more than 600 Rogue 1™ reusable loitering munition systems that enable small units to directly engage enemy targets beyond line of sight 

Highly accurate loitering munition features mission-specific payload options, boosting warfighter efficiency and effectiveness 

BOSTON ― December 5, 2025 ― Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced that it has been awarded a $42.5 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command for Delivery Order 3 of its Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program. 

Teledyne FLIR Defense will deliver more than 600 of its advanced Rogue 1™ lethal loitering munition systems, along with ground control stations and training kits, for fielding to Marine Corps units starting this summer. 

Organic Precision Fires-Light is a program designed to provide rifle squads and platoons with a man-packable “organic, loitering, precision strike capability to engage the enemy beyond the line of sight.” 

Teledyne FLIR’s Rogue 1 has proven highly successful in multiple exercises against moving and stationary armor, soft-skinned vehicles, and dismounted targets.  Operators can attach modular, mission-specific payloads with lethal effects designed for distinct target types.  An advanced fuzing system on Rogue 1 allows the aircraft to be safely returned to the operator and reused when targets are disengaged or missions aborted, which lightens the pack load for Marines while increasing their tactical effectiveness. 

Rogue 1 also features advanced electro-optical and FLIR Boson® 640+ thermal cameras to deliver day/night long-range reconnaissance and surveillance.  Plus, a novel coupling between sensors and warhead in the gimballed payload enables extremely precise targeting. 

“The accuracy and modularity of the Rogue 1 platform will enhance Marine lethality against whatever threats they may encounter in future conflicts,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense.  “We’re honored to support the OPF-L program and will continue to work with the Marine Corps to quickly field technology innovations they need to win on the battlefield.” 

“While Teledyne provides a broad range of unmanned air, ground, and subsea systems, this award represents our first production rate contract in the loitering munition market, following the initial test and evaluation contract in 2024,” said George Bobb, president and chief executive officer of Teledyne Technologies. 

Visit us online to learn more about the wide range of FLIR Defense loitering munitions, unmanned aerial systems and advanced payload options. 

From U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, Dec. 12, 2025 

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) returned to their home port in Charleston, Wednesday, following a 92-day deployment conducting counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Operation Pacific Viper.   

During the patrol, the James crew interdicted over 46,500 pounds of narcotics valued at nearly $350 million. The James crew conducted nine interdictions and detained 33 suspected drug traffickers. The patrol focused on disrupting illegal narcotics smuggling in collaboration with international partners.  

The James crew worked alongside international partners including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Colombia. The collaboration included multiple partner nation transfers.  

To support maritime governance and strengthen international relations, the James crew transferred 22 detainees pier side in Manta, Ecuador, prior to a visit from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.  

The James crew worked with the Costa Rican coast guard and national police to transfer two Colombian detainees and offload approximately 9,500 pounds of cocaine in Golfito, Costa Rica. During the visit, James hosted Costa Rican Minister of Security Mario Zamora Cordero.  

“I am exceptionally thankful and proud of this crew’s dedication,” said Capt. Thomas Rodzewicz, commanding officer of the James. “Time away from family and missed holidays is never a small sacrifice, but the crew’s time and commitment to combatting narco-terrorism and protecting our nation from illicit drugs crossing our borders are highlighted by the success of this patrol.”   

The James crew offloaded more than 26,000 pounds of cocaine and 500 pounds of marijuana in Port Everglades, Florida, Monday, before heading home.   

Since 2017, Coast Guard Cutter James crewmembers have interdicted 104 shipments totaling 285,140 pounds of cocaine worth $2.11 billion wholesale and 34,539 pounds of marijuana worth $27.8 million wholesale.  

James is one of four 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Charleston under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug operations and defense readiness.  

Detecting and interdicting narco-terrorism on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South, based in Key West, Florida, detects and monitors both aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Southwest District, headquartered in Alameda, California.  

The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction.  

Sixth-generation helmet system will provide pilots with superior battlespace awareness 

From Collins Elbit Vision Systems 

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Dec.12, 2025 – Collins Elbit Vision Systems (CEVS), a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America (Elbit America) and Collins Aerospace, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has successfully completed the Critical Design Review for the Zero-G Helmet Mounted Display System+ (HMDS+), tailored specifically to meet the United States Navy’s requirements under the Improved Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (IJHMCS) program. This program focuses on adapting and integrating the advanced Zero-G HMDS+ into the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, ensuring these aircraft benefit from enhanced operational capabilities that align with the U.S. Navy’s mission needs. 

The Zero-G HMDS+™ is a sixth-generation helmet-mounted display system that provides a fully immersive, high-definition view of the battlespace. This enables aircrew to make split-second decisions at high speeds with superior situational awareness, enhancing mission effectiveness and survivability.  

Captain Joseph Kamara, Naval Aircrew Systems (PMA-202) program manager said, “Aircrew health and safety is our number one priority.  The Zero-G being integrated through our IJHMCS program promises to relieve aircrew of neck and back strain and greatly improve ejection safety. We are excited to be at the leading edge of safety and technology, and this important milestone is a critical step toward deploying this capability for our F/A-18 and EA-18 aircrew.” 

The Zero-G HMDS+ builds on CEVS’ legacy of delivering fourth- and fifth-generation HMDS. It combines combat-tested tracking and low-latency technologies with a cutting-edge display to deliver accurate, real-time information. The superiority of the Zero-G HMDS+ is in its ability to fuse mission data, sensor video and weapon system information while serving as a primary flight instrument. 

“Zero-G is providing sensor fusion at the edge,” said Luke Savoie, Elbit America’s President and CEO and CEVS board member. “This system is critical technology, while remaining lightweight. As fighter aircraft level-up, the HMDs of those systems need to as well. Zero-G provides unmatched head-up, sixth-generation battle management capabilities.”  

 
“When our team began working on the Zero-G HMDS+, our goal was to provide aircrew with the safest, most advanced helmet system on the market,” said Collins Aerospace’s Daniel Karl, co-general manager of CEVS. “This milestone confirms our helmet is ready for the next phase of development and brings us one step closer to delivering this advanced capability to naval aviators.” 

The program will now begin rigorous airworthiness testing and full integration with aircraft avionics and mission systems. Initial operational capability is expected in 2027. The system is planned to be fielded on all operational U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets and Growlers, totaling more than 750 aircraft.  

From HII 
 

LOREAUVILLE, La., Dec. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII) executives toured Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Loreauville, Louisiana, and announced that construction of a prototype of ROMULUS, the company’s new unmanned surface vessel (USV) family, has reached 30% completion. The vessel remains on schedule for sea trials in the fourth quarter of 2026. 

During the visit, HII leaders toured the shipyard with build partners Breaux Brothers and Incat Crowther, and reviewed progress on hull construction, integration of the HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System (ACS), and outfitting work. 

“ROMULUS is progressing at a pace that reflects the urgency of the mission and the strength of our partnerships,” said Andy Green, president of HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Breaux Brothers and our industry team are delivering a platform that brings scale, autonomy and real operational advantage to the fleet. At 30% complete, the ROMULUS prototype is well on its way to becoming the benchmark for unmanned surface capability.” 

ROMULUS USVs are designed to meet the current and emerging requirements of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, joint forces and allies. They deliver high-endurance, sustained open-ocean autonomy with a focus on lethality, cost efficiency and scalability. 

The family of USVs will support missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, counter-unmanned air systems, mine countermeasures, strike, and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). 

Paired with HII’s REMUS UUVs, ROMULUS extends undersea reach and supports a scalable dual-domain force package built for distributed maritime operations. 

This ROMULUS prototype is the first in HII’s modular, AI-enabled ROMULUS USV line. The ships are engineered for rapid, repeatable production and high endurance at sea. With speeds over 25 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles, all ROMULUS USVs are designed for mission flexibility across global theaters. 

ROMULUS is built around Odyssey ACS, HII’s proven autonomy suite used across more than 35 USV platforms and over 750 REMUS UUVs in 30 countries. Odyssey enables sustained open-ocean autonomy, multi-agent swarming, modular payload integration, and manned-unmanned teaming. ROMULUS platforms will also feature integrated capabilities from Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI for enhanced autonomous performance and lifecycle sustainment. 

The Odyssey software suite’s open-access, government-aligned architecture enables rapid integration of new sensors, payloads and third-party autonomy technologies. It allows industry, government and academia to test and refine capabilities, ensuring ROMULUS evolves in step with emerging naval concepts of operations. 

In November, HII and Shield AI announced that they have successfully completed the first major test of their integrated autonomy solution aboard HII’s ROMULUS 20 USV, marking a key step toward operational deployment of the AI-enabled ROMULUS fleet. 

ROMULUS is being developed with support from HII’s Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group. 

From Meteomatics, Dec. 11, 2025 

Meteomatics’ Meteodrones Aim to Fill Persistent Gap in Atmospheric Observation Over the Open Ocean 

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., December 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Weather intelligence and technology company Meteomatics, today announced its work with the U.S. Navy, launching their automated weather drones, Meteodrones, from a moving vessel to collect frequently unobserved atmospheric data critical to maritime operations. Conducted as part of the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) in the Mississippi Sound near Gulfport, the trial has marked a step forward in enhancing operational readiness and safety for naval missions. 
 
Naval operations rely on precise, localized weather intelligence, but capturing these insights on ships has historically proven difficult. Weather balloons are nearly impossible to launch and track reliably from moving vessels, and the broad coverage satellites provide, lack the vertical resolution needed for tactical decisions. This leaves the Navy with a blind spot in the first lower levels of the atmosphere – exactly where weather conditions most influence flight operations, radar performance, and mission safety. 
 
“For the last decade, U.S. military weather services have sought to consistently and reliably measure the atmosphere over the open ocean to improve forecast accuracy and identify atmospheric anomalies,” said Kevin Lacroix, Weather Services Technology Lead, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “Products with the capability to collect-high resolution, real-time atmospheric data, repeatedly, in environments of interest are valuable to military weather services for sensing the maritime boundary layer of the atmosphere.” 
 
To fill this gap, the U.S. Navy’s Gulfport demonstration tested the Meteodrone’s ability to launch and recover from a moving ship at speeds ranging from 1.5 knots to 16 knots. Operating under FAA regulations, shipboard Meteodrones collected complete vertical atmospheric profiles including temperature, humidity, pressure, dew point, and wind. Across multiple runs, the Meteodrones returned safely for recovery and the system validated stable and autonomous performance in a maritime environment. 
 
With the real-time observations that the Meteodrones collect, the Navy can enhance mission safety by reducing risks for aircraft takeoffs, landing and in-flight operations. Additionally, they are able to strengthen operational readiness and improve awareness of how the environment may extend or degrade radar and communication ranges. 
 
“Beyond the weather forecasting improvements the real-time information gathered by the Meteodrone give us, we have an opportunity to feed critical information into our electromagnetic tactical decision aids, making the safety and security of the ship and the battlegroup more effective by optimizing our radar performance, LaCroix added. “Ship captains will have the confidence to make rapid decisions knowing that the METOC team has given them every advantage possible.” 
 
“This demonstration underscored not just the technical success of our Meteodrones, but also the practical value of capturing critical weather data at sea. By proving that launches and recoveries can be achieved from moving vessels, we’ve shown how Meteomatics can help the Navy bridge one of the most significant gaps in operational forecasting,” said Brad Guay, Head of Government & Defense Solutions at Meteomatics. 
 
Meteomatics is committed to working with the U.S. Navy, and other government partners, to continue bringing innovations from demonstration to deployment. Read more about the drones here.