HAIFA, Israel — Overnight, the Israeli Navy successfully deployed Rafael’s C-Dome to intercept a suspicious hostile target which posed a significant threat to Israeli assets and strategic sites in southern Israel.

C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome air and missile defense system and is integrated on the Israeli navy’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes.

This marks the system’s first combat interception, following a series of comprehensive tests over the last several years, serving as a major milestone in the C-Dome’s operational capabilities.

C-Dome serves as a critical layer of defense in Israel’s multi-layered air defense array, relying on the Iron Dome system interceptor, which, to-date has achieved over 6,000 combat interceptions.

C-Dome is capable of addressing existing and future threats that naval forces may encounter, including rockets, cruise missiles, sea-skimming missiles and drones.

In 2023, Rafael unveiled the C-Dome’s mission modular configuration to provide unprotected vessels, as well as vessels that lack adequate air defense means, with advanced and complementary capabilities against multiple, simultaneous attacks from a wide range of threats — without the need for deck penetration, vessel hull retrofit, cable routing, or complex platform integration. Open architecture enables compatibility with the ship’s sensors and CMS.

The integration of the C-Dome system reinforces the defensive capabilities of the Sa’ar 6 corvettes, enhancing their capacity to safeguard Israel’s assets and economic interests within the exclusive economic zone.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems serving is the prime contractor and developer of the Iron Dome system and C-Dome systems, collaborating with subcontractors Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems, which has developed the system’s radar, and mPrest, a Rafael subsidiary and developer of the system’s command-and-control systems. The development of the systems is overseen by the Israel Missile Defense Organization, a division of the Directorate for Defense Research and Development.

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – SENEDIA—The Alliance for Defense Tech, Talent, and Innovation—announced today that their New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership continues to expand and has now facilitated the training of more than 5,000 people across the region for high-paying careers in submarine shipbuilding.

The news comes as SENEDIA and industry leaders recognize National Submarine Day, which marks the anniversary of the Navy’s first commissioned submarine.

In just over three years, SENEDIA has provided technical support and facilitated the investment of $40+ million in 25 programs across six training institutions—including community colleges in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire—with 96 percent of participating students completing the training.

“Defense has a $119 billion annual economic impact in New England and the region serves as the epicenter of the submarine shipbuilding supply chain. To maintain that strength, further grow the industry, and support our national defense, we need to foster a robust workforce pipeline with hands-on experience and skills aligned to the needs of employers,” said Molly Donohue Magee, SENEDIA Chief Executive Officer. “Our training network sets participants up for successful careers in Defense and connects employers with emerging talent that is highly skilled and motivated to grow their careers in the industry.”

The New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership Regional Training Network has 25 active programs and is on track to train 2,800 people annually. This training capacity represents significant growth from the partnership’s launch in mid-2020. It took 14 months to reach the first 1,000 trained, 10 months to reach the second, and now only takes an average of five months to reach each additional 1,000. As of January 2024, SENEDIA has facilitated the training of 5,000 people in support of submarine shipbuilding trade and industrial jobs.

“Submarine construction is critical to national security and supports thousands of good-paying jobs here in Rhode Island. SENEDIA is leading efforts when it comes to the recruiting, training, and placement of hard-working folks here in Rhode Island and across New England, who are ready and eager to take on a career in the industry,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (RI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “There are a wide spectrum of jobs and roles in the submarine manufacturing workforce. These are family-sustaining jobs and I encourage anyone looking for a career in this industry to check out what SENEDIA is offering and explore the opportunities available through the partnership.”

“The nation and its defense industrial base continues to benefit from the joint investments in SENEDIA made through the Department of Defense (DoD)’s IBAS program and U.S. Navy,” said Adele Ratcliff, Director of DoD’s Innovation Capability and Modernization office. “The submarine industrial base (SIB), in particular is at a crucial juncture, and helping our small and medium SIB suppliers to meet their workforce attraction, hiring, training, and retention needs is keenly felt throughout the Pentagon. Mitigating risks to our critical path through execution of supply chain workforce investments is just one way that SENEDIA is helping to reconstitute our industrial skills workforce of today and tomorrow.”

The partnership, which is funded under ICAM’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, has received $67.7 million since August of 2020 in support of the trades and industrial skills workforce development of the New England submarine industrial base.

In addition to the investment in support of training, SENEDIA has provided $2 million in training infrastructure, such as welding machines, virtual painters, equipment installation, and facility upgrades to accommodate new technology and equipment.

“SENEDIA and its New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership is a critical ally in our drive to build the modern skilled workforce that the Navy needs to deliver the world’s most capable submarines. SENEDIA empowers its institutional partners to sustainably accelerate and expand programming in a way that opens doors for the next generation workforce,” said Rear Admiral Scott Pappano, Program Executive Officer, Strategic Submarines for the United States Navy.  The Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) program provides technical oversight for SENEDIA’s effort, as well as support helping to connect the next generation of submarine shipbuilders with the servicemembers who will operate these vessels.

“Workforce development and training is critical to ensuring businesses and organizations can thrive, which is why I’m proud to continue supporting the work of SENEDIA and organizations like Granite State Manufacturing, a submarine industrial base supplier with facilities in Manchester and Nashua, as they continue to expand and grow,” said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. “I’m grateful for the work that the partnership is doing to support the defense industry in New Hampshire through workforce development and will continue doing what I can in Congress to provide critical funding and resources for these programs.”

The training programs supported through the partnership are closely aligned to the needs of employers, including the skills necessary to work for General Dynamics Electric Boat, the nation’s prime submarine builder.

“With the partnership’s help to significantly grow our workforce since 2020, Electric Boat’s ability to add to our team of shipbuilders is stronger than ever, yet demand remains high and we must continue to grow our ranks in the coming years,” said Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat. “SENEDIA’s support is ensuring that the workers coming out of the training programs are prepared to start on day one and deliver mission-critical work.” 

SENEDIA’s New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership Regional Training Network is successful due to its many strong training partners, including the New England Institute of Technology, Rhode Island Office of Postsecondary Commissioner – Westerly Education Cetner, Three Rivers Community College, Thielsch Engineering, Nashua Community College, and Porter and Chester Institute.

“What’s impressed me is SENEDIA’s collaboration with key programs in my district such as EWIB’s award-winning Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI) and Youth MPI. Given the significant growth in demand for trades training, SENEDIA’s resources have been an instrumental part of meeting the FY23 and FY24 needs of our employers, schools, and primarily, the trainees.  In fact, at EB alone we’re on pace for delivering over 220 cohorts over the last two and a half years and surpassed 3,200 job placements at EB-Groton alone last month. SENEDIA played a significant role in helping us make that all possible,” said Congressman Joe Courtney, Ranking Member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.

U.S. Central Command, April 11, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 1:00 p.m. (Sanaa time) on April 11, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched over the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.

There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition or commercial ships.

It was determined the ASBM presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition and merchant vessels.

Kongsberg Maritime has been selected by Austal USA to supply its Promas propulsion system to the latest ship in the United States Coast Guard’s new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Heritage Class program.

This initial contract is to supply Kongsberg Maritime equipment for the fifth ship, Coast Guard Cutter Pickering, which is the first to be built by Austal USA at their yard in Mobile, Alabama.

The Coast Guard’s new OPC program represents a significant investment in maritime capability and is expected to run up to 25 ships. The new vessels will replace the Coast Guard’s medium endurance cutters and meet the need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness.

Promas combines rudder and controllable pitch propeller into one propulsion system which optimizes the hydrodynamic properties of the ship and delivers increased efficiency and thrust while using less energy. For the OPC, as well as twin Promas, Kongsberg Maritime is contracted to supply steering gear, rudders, fin stabilizers and tunnel thrusters.

Björn ten Eicken, Kongsberg Maritime, Vice President – Naval, said: “Kongsberg Maritime has a proud history of supplying mission critical technology to United States Coast Guard programs.

“We have supplied our propulsion systems for naval and governmental forces for more than 80 years, and we’re delighted to have developed an efficient and effective system specifically suited to the challenging and varied operations of these new ships. Our Promas systems typically deliver efficiency savings of around 6%, so vessels are able to extend their range, something which can be crucial on longer missions.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Coast Guard and Austal USA on delivering these highly capable ships.”

The OPC vessels will be able to provide long range patrol capability. At 360 feet long, they will have a displacement of 3,700 long tons, maximum speed of 22.2 knots, and a range of 9,050 nautical miles at 14 knots. 

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced the delivery of amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) to the U.S. Navy.

Richard M. McCool Jr. is the 13^th San Antonio-class ship delivered by Ingalls and is the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into production of the LPD Flight II line.

“The LPD 29 delivery demonstrates how our shipbuilders are enabling our combined Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “It is the most recent example of what U.S. industry and government partnerships can accomplish by putting another player on the field. We will now bring the full weight of this collaborative team to bear on steady-state Flight II execution going forward.”

Ingalls has two Flight II LPDs under construction including Harrisburg (LPD 30) and Pittsburgh (LPD 31). In March 2023, Ingalls was awarded a modification to the contract for the procurement of the detail design and construction of Philadelphia (LPD 32), the 16th ship in the San Antonio class and the third LPD Flight II.

The San Antonio class is foundational to the U.S. Marine Corp’s Force Design construct and can support a variety of crisis response, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions. LPDs can operate independently or as part of amphibious readiness groups, expeditionary strike groups, or joint task forces. These capabilities allow the U.S. Navy to protect America’s security abroad and promote regional stability and preserve future peace.

Unmanned systems are increasingly part of maritime defense, but integrating remote air, surface and undersea capabilities into fields of operation requires new thinking and a whole lot of trust, military leaders and experts said at Sea-Air-Space 2024.

“In force fleet, we really try to move from experiments to operationalizing,” said Rear Admiral James Aiken, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and commander, U.S. 4th Fleet. “And then we also want to go from the tactical — from those simple functions that we talk about — to the operational.”

Aiken spoke at a panel of senior and retired military leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and private industry.

Moderating the panel was Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director at the Hudson Institute, a naval operations expert and co-author of the study, “Unalone and Unafraid: A Plan for Integrating Uncrewed and Other Emerging Technologies into US Military Forces.”

Clark and co-author Dan Patt argued in the paper the Navy could use “AI-enabled uncrewed vehicles” to gain and sustain operational advantage against a great-power rival like China. “The ability of uncrewed systems to provide resilience and adaptability depends on scale,” Clark and Patt wrote in the paper, published last year.

The Navy described its vision for integrating unmanned aerial systems, ships and undersea vehicles into the fleet and fleet marine force in the “Advantage at Sea” strategy and the follow-on “Unmanned Campaign Framework,” released in 2001. But, as a 2022 U.S. Naval Institute article argued, Congress is unlikely to fund these vehicles unless the Navy develops a more complete conception of their use across conflicts.

That work is ongoing, panel speakers indicated.

Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, Program Executive Officer of Unmanned and Small Combatants with Naval Sea Systems Command, said his office is supporting Navy efforts by designing, developing, building and modernizing unmanned systems. These include unmanned maritime systems and mine and expeditionary warfare systems. Areas of study and experimentation focus on mechanical and electrical systems, autonomy, interoperability and more.

“Obviously a lot of data is being gathered,” Smith said, which can be used to improve the systems and define their requirements for acquisition. And this applies to large unmanned system as well as medium and small systems.

“Taking the Sailor out of harm’s way isn’t very important — it’s paramount,” Smith said.

Aiken said getting these tools more quickly into a battlefield environment requires less testing and more operations. He said this has involved “putting unmanned vessels into the hands of operators” and “testing our assumptions” on how the Navy deploys, positions and otherwise uses them.

Aiken said the goal is to combine manned and unmanned systems, and to stack unmanned systems, “which I call the Reese’s effect, where we’re putting peanut butter and chocolate together,” he said. He cited the use of unmanned surface vessels with communications balloons as part of a mesh network.

Retired Rear Admiral John Tammen, deputy of the Undersea Enterprise Campaign for the Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Sector, said he sees three broad areas of opportunities to further the Navy’s efforts in this area:

• First, there are more players on the field from private industry. Tammen said a brief walk through the Sea-Air-Space exhibit hall showed the array of firms either operating their own vehicle or supporting their components. “That was very exciting to see and I think we need to support that,” he said.

• Two, the evolution of using unmanned systems in capacities beyond surveillance to man-unmanned operations. “The example I like to use is the P-8 tied to the Triton,” he said. “Being able to get something that’s greater than the sum of the parts — one plus one equals three.”

• Three, the increasing ability to get significant payload far forward, from undersea, Tammen said, as has been demonstrated in the DARPA-Northrop Grumman Manta Ray UUV program and others.

In fact, unmanned systems that are contractor-owned and operated appeal to the U.S. Coast Guard, which has a smaller budget and less acquisition, said Thom Remmers, Systems Strategic Team Lead and Naval Engineer and Acquisition Program Manager.

Aiken said at the end of the day, a lot of success involves building service members’ trust in unmanned systems — not for use in a lab but in the real world.

By Precision Strike Weapons Program Office

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy is set to field the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II on the F/A-18E/F after declaring Early Operational Capability in October.

The F/A-18E/F is the Navy’s first platform to carry the SDB-II, giving the aircraft the capability to hit moving targets in harsh weather and address targets in dynamic scenarios.

“The Navy and Air Force team, along with the test community and fleet stakeholders, worked relentlessly to expedite the fielding of this weapon,” said Tyler Alt, Navy SDB-II program manager. “This weapon will give our warfighters a much-needed capability and provide the basis for future network enabled weapons.”

The team will complete two additional operational test events before achieving Initial Operational Capability in 2024.

SDB-II, or Ground Bomb Unit-53B (GBU-53B) “StormBreaker,” is an air-launched, precision-strike standoff weapon that enables the warfighter to defeat moving and fixed targets. It can operate in adverse weather conditions through its tri-mode seeker that employs infrared and millimeter wave radar to see through fog, smoke and rain.

The weapon has the capability to receive updated target coordinates mid-flight via two-way datalink communications. Using these network options, SDB-II allows airborne or ground controllers the ability to send in-flight target updates.

SDB-II is a Joint-Interest, Air Force-led program and is fielded on the Air Force’s F-15E aircraft. SDB-II will also be compatible and fielded on F-16C/D and F-35 aircraft.

The Navy component of the SDB-II program is executed by the Precision Strike Weapons Program Office, which provides Naval Aviation with dominant lethal, integrated precision strike solutions for any conflict anytime, anywhere.

HONOLULU — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) and crew returned to home port in Hawaii April 9 after a 79-day patrol in support of Coast Guard District Fourteen’s Operation Blue Pacific in Oceania.  

Harriet Lane and crew departed Pearl Harbor in January and traveled more than 15,000 nautical miles spanning from the Hawaiian Islands to the east coast of Australia. Patrolling in support of Operation Blue Pacific, the cutter and crew worked alongside Pacific Island nations to forge and advance relationships with like-minded allies and partners who share a common vision for maritime governance. 

Harriet Lane’s efforts included enhancing maritime domain awareness, combatting illegal fishing activities across Oceania, and participating in exercises to bolster partner capacity and interoperability. Leveraging bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements with Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, Harriet Lane conducted 27 boardings alongside Pacific Island partners in their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZs).  

Through bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements, the Coast Guard is able to provide a platform for partner nations to enforce domestic and international laws within territorial seas and the far reaches of their EEZs. The embarked shipriders identify boarding targets within their EEZ, take law enforcement action in accordance with their authority, and are supported by U.S. Coast Guard personnel throughout the course of the boarding activity. These operations are focused on increasing partner nations’ capabilities and maritime domain awareness while safeguarding sovereign rights, supporting sound maritime governance, and combatting illicit activities on the water. Additionally, Harriet Lane law enforcement personnel conducted four fishery boardings on the high seas in concert with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. 

During Harriet Lane’s patrol, the crew made port calls in American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands. While offshore Nauru, Harriet Lane hosted key leadership engagements and underway subject matter exchanges with local enforcement agencies. Harriet Lane’s crew participated in numerous engagements with local communities throughout the region, including subject matter expert exchanges, such as search and rescue planning and small boat operations, school visits, and several tours of Harriet Lane with U.S. Ambassadors, foreign dignitaries, heads of police and fisheries agencies, and hosted the U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, as she led a maritime roundtable aboard the cutter in Vanuatu.  

“This was a patrol of firsts for Harriet Lane and the U.S. Coast Guard” said Cmdr. Nicole Tesoniero, commanding officer of Harriet Lane. “The Coast Guard has a long and storied history in the Pacific, and Harriet Lane’s introduction to the region delivers on a pledge to our allies and partners that the United States has an enduring commitment in the Blue Pacific. Harriet Lane’s crew delivered on each and every ask made throughout this patrol, and I could not be more proud of our crew’s dedication, professionalism, and service to our great nation. This was just the first of many patrols in support of Operation Blue Pacific for Harriet Lane and I look forward to seeing our impact continue to grow.” 

Harriet Lane, commissioned in 1984, is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 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. 

ALAMEDA, California — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) and crew returned home April 8 following a 21,000-mile, 98-day Indo-Pacific deployment in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

Throughout the deployment, Bertholf led international engagements in the Republic of Singapore, Malaysia and India, strengthening interoperability and maritime governance through joint at-sea exercises, professional engagements, and subject matter expert exchanges.

Bertholf departed Alameda on Jan. 2 as the Coast Guard’s first of multiple national security cutter deployments to the Indo-Pacific this year.

“The opportunities to work with our allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific increased our regional interoperability and greatly strengthened the bonds which we share as a seagoing service,” said Captain Billy Mees, Bertholf’s commanding officer. “We greatly appreciated engaging in professional interactions, enhancing maritime capabilities, and reinforcing maritime governance in the area through promoting global connections, fostering unity, and advancing efforts to maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific region.”

While operating in the vicinity of Singapore, the crew of the Bertholf participated in multiple professional engagements and training exercises with members of the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Police Coast Guard, and Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). Bertholf hosted U.S. Ambassador Jonathan E. Kaplan aboard for a tour and a chance for Bertholf’s crew to showcase the cutter’s operational capabilities.

Upon departure, Bertholf’s crew conducted at-sea exercises and subject matter expert exchanges with the Republic of Singapore Navy and MMEA, including a group sail through the Strait of Malacca.

Upon Bertholf’s service-first, historic arrival in Port Klang, Malaysia, the crew conducted several subject matter expert exchanges with the MMEA, Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Police Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Korea Coast Guard, and Australian Border Force. The joint training included maritime law enforcement skills, small boat launch and recoveries, emergency rescue and carry procedures, and shipboard damage control tactics to bolster interoperability across the maritime domain of Southeast Asia. Bertholf hosted U.S. Ambassador Edgard D. Kagan and Malaysian dignitaries onboard for a U.S. Embassy reception on the cutter’s flight deck.

Bertholf’s final international port call was Port Blair, India, marking the first time a U.S. Coast Guard cutter has visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India situated between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

During the four-day engagement, Bertholf’s crew participated in sporting events and reciprocal tours, and Bertholf’s officers attended a formal reception at the India Coast Guard’s regional headquarters. Bertholf and India Coast Guard participated in the joint exercise ‘Sea Defender,’ with two days of at-sea exercises that included responses to shipboard drone and small boat attacks, shipboard damage control evolutions, pollution responses, counter drug interdiction and non-compliant vessel pursuit tactics, security boardings, flight operations, and an overnight group sail with the India Coast Guard across the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone to the Strait of Malacca.

Commissioned in 2008, Bertholf is one of four Coast Guard legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National security cutters are 418 feet long, 54 feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days, and can hold a crew of up to 170.

BAE Systems has been awarded an additional $25 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded $181 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps for more Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) under the Marine Corps’ fourth order for full-rate production (FRP).

Total cumulative face value of the contract is $2.7 billion. In addition to vehicle production, the award covers the procurement of ACV Personnel (ACV-P) variants, fielding and sustainment costs, and support and test equipment.

Vehicles produced under this contract will fulfill the Marine Corps’ fleet requirements for ACV-Ps, providing them full operational amphibious capability to execute operations around the world.

“This contract award allows us to continue to deliver this critical capability to the Marine Corps to enable warfighters to complete ship-to-shore missions and other expeditionary requirements,” said Garrett Lacaillade, vice president of amphibious vehicles for BAE Systems. “We continue to work hand-in-hand with our strategic partner Iveco Defense Vehicles and the Marine Corps to ensure that ACVs are ready for current and future deployments.”

ACV-P is the first in a family of four variants to be manufactured and delivered to the Marine Corps. Additional variants include the ACV Command and Control (ACV-C) variant which is currently in production; the ACV 30mm Cannon (ACV-30) variant which production ready test vehicles were delivered for testing earlier this year; and an ACV Recovery (ACV-R) variant which recently completed the design and development phase.

The ACV 8×8 platform provides true open-ocean amphibious capability, land mobility, payload, and growth potential to accommodate future variant growth and technology integration to meet the Marine Corps’ ever-evolving operational needs. 

ACV production and support is taking place at BAE Systems locations in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and, York, Pennsylvania. Deliveries are anticipated to begin in late 2025.