ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will decommission three of its Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships over the next few days, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSFP) said in an August 20 release. The USS Champion, the USS Scout and the USS Ardent officially will be decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego on…
Defense Unit Certifies Five Small Commercial UAS for Government Use
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a Department of Defense organization that accelerates commercial technology for national defense, announced the availability of five U.S.-manufactured drone configurations to provide trusted, secure small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) options to the U.S. government,…
Navy Maturing Next-Generation Air Dominance Acquisition Approach
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has acknowledged that it has stood up a program office for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and is maturing the acquisition approach for the carrier-based power projection concept. The Navy has taken a go-slow…
Navy’s Medium USV to Be Based on Commercial Vehicle
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) being designed and built by L3Harris Technologies will be a purpose-built commercially derived vehicle, the company said in an Aug. 19 release. Although the Navy’s selection of Camden, New Jersey-based L3Harris was announced by the Defense…
MDA Considering Navy’s Aegis System for Homeland Missile Defense
WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is investigating the feasibility of using the Navy’s Aegis Combat System and Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA as segment of a layered defense of the U.S. homeland. “We are investigating the possibility of deploying…
BAE to Modernize USS Preble Under $103.5 Million Contract
SAN DIEGO — BAE Systems has received a $103.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy for the maintenance and modernization of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, the company said in an Aug. 18 release. The value of the competitively…
Coast Guard, CBP Interdicts Suspected Smuggler, 16 Migrants
MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), halted a migrant smuggling operation on Aug. 13 about 14 miles east of Haulover Inlet, Florida, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. A CBP AMO…
Navy Tapped to Lead UFO Task Force
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has been selected to lead the Defense Department’s new Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), the Pentagon said in an Aug. 14 release. “On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of…
Boeing Inducts 20th U.S. Navy F/A-18 Into Service Life Modification
ST. LOUIS — Boeing has inducted its 20th F/A-18 Super Hornet into service life modification (SLM), supporting U.S. Navy readiness needs for mission-capable aircraft, the company said in an Aug. 17 release. Two SLM jets already have been returned to the Navy. Initially, SLM will extend…
Navy Awards $430 Million Contract for Operation of Undersea Test Range
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has awarded $430 million contract to a Maryland-based company to operate and maintain one of the service’s most sophisticated test ranges. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division awarded the contract to Amentum Services Inc. of…
