By Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The future Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine Utah (SSN 801) was christened during ceremonies at the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, on October 25, 2025. 

According to a posting on X @GDElectricBoat “The Virginia-class assembly building at shipyard was all decked out on October 25 for the christening of PCU Utah (SSN 801). EB shipbuilders, the ship’s crew, U.S. Navy personnel and government officials joined both live and virtually to celebrate this significant milestone commemorated by a joint swing. Mrs. Sharon Lee (left) and Mrs. Mary Kaye Huntsman, co-sponsors of Utah, broke a bottle of sparkling cyser — a honey and apple cider wine from Utah — on the ship’s hull to commemorate the christening.” 

When commissioned, the USS Utah will be the 10th and final Block 4 version of the Virginia-class submarines to be built by General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding. 

From General Dynamics Mission Systems

CHANTILLY, Va. – Four major defense companies have proposed the establishment of an AUKUS Combat Systems Collaborative Team in contemplation of a potential role for Australia’s SSN-AUKUS conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed Wednesday, Nov. 5.  

BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Thales propose to lead the design and lay the foundations for manufacture and integration of combat systems for SSN-AUKUS under agreements to be negotiated with the Commonwealth of Australia and United Kingdom government. SSN-AUKUS will be based on the UK’s next-generation design and incorporate technology from all three nations. The combination of technology from all three nations is intended to deliver a world-class submarine that meets Australia’s long-term defense requirements.  

The collaboration draws on over 150 years of collective experience in the design, integration, and delivery from industry leaders across three nations, an expertise that is intended to meet the demands of delivering a cutting-edge combat system for SSN-AUKUS in a way that reduces both programmatic and workforce risks across the program while accelerating speed to capability.   

Under the MOU, the parties have agreed to work collaboratively to design a best of class tri-national Combat System as a shared solution for Australia and the UK in support of SSN-AUKUS. This system builds on General Dynamics Mission Systems’ existing AN/BYG-1 combat control system that is cofunded by the U.S. and Australia and leverages the existing industrial base and workforce supporting both the U.S. Navy and the RAN.  

AN/BYG-1 is an open-architecture system which integrates tactical control, payload and weapons control and information assurance. The system is installed on Australia’s Collins class submarines, as well as the U.S. Navy’s Virginia, Los Angeles, Ohio, Columbia, and Seawolf-class submarines.  

The Collaborative Team intend to optimize Australian involvement in Combat System design and delivery, while facilitating skills, technology and knowledge transfer across the AUKUS nations to strengthen Australian industry for the SSN-AUKUS program.  

Craig Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems Australia, said:   

“This Memorandum of Understanding is another strategic step forward to developing the most effective and advanced combat system for SSN-AUKUS, simultaneously strengthening Australia’s operational sovereignty and industrial capability.  

“By aligning with our industry and trilateral partners, this signing will accelerate and enhance combat system development that is interoperable by design, reaffirming our role as a trusted partner to the Commonwealth of Australia and Royal Australian Navy.”  

Ohad Katz, Managing Director of Raytheon Australia, said:  

“As Australia’s sovereign submarine combat system partner, Raytheon Australia and our workforce bring more than 25 years of expertise in design, integration and sustainment, including upgrades and updates, of the Collins Class submarine combat system to this team, establishing the base for a truly sovereign capability ready to deliver the RAN’s most ambitious naval program.   

“As the RAN moves to a multi-class submarine fleet, leveraging the existing workforce, with proven processes that sustain Collins will ensure continuity, confidence, and low-risk delivery.”  

Laura Hooks, vice president and general manager of Maritime and Strategic Systems, at General Dynamics Mission Systems, said: “We are excited to formalize a collaborative path forward as we work together to strengthen critical defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.  

“The MOU acknowledges that the team successfully delivering submarine combat system capability to the three nations via separate efforts today should be entrusted to sustain and integrate combat systems aboard Virginia and AUKUS submarines in the future, ensuring continuity, confidence and low-risk delivery. It sets a standard of teamwork that will allow us to more efficiently explore future business opportunities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.”  

Steven Lockley, Chief Operating Officer of Underwater Systems, Defence Mission Systems, Thales UK said: “Success on international programs such as AUKUS requires strong international partners in order to deliver maximum customer value and sustained capability. Thales is pleased to continue its long-term Combat Systems relationships with BAES and Raytheon Australia and look forward to also working with a new partner in General Dynamics Mission Systems. Together, we will deliver a hugely capable and sustainable AUKUS Combat System maximising the attributes of our companies across the AUKUS countries.”  

General Dynamics Mission Systems is the prime contractor for the US Navy’s AN/BYG-1 Combat Control System, Common Weapon Launcher (CWL), and Torpedo Guidance and Control Subsystems.  

BAE Systems is the prime contractor for the design and manufacture of the Royal Navy’s UK submarine fleet and will produce the design of the SSN-AUKUS submarines and build the UK’s SSN-AUKUS submarines in Barrow, UK.  BAE Systems Australia Submarines, alongside ASC Pty Ltd, has been selected by the CoA to build Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines in Adelaide, Australia based on that UK SSNAUKUS design.   

Thales, a supplier of integrated sonar systems for submarines, surface ships and airborne platforms, has been appointed as the Main Sonar Design Authority and Integrator, and Sonar Contracting Authority (MSDA&I and SCA) for the UK SSN Programme by BAE Systems UK as the Combat Systems Integrator (CSI).   

Raytheon Australia is a combat system integrator and naval sustainment partner for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) submarine and surface ship combat systems and is the combat system manager and integrator for the RAN Collins Class Submarines and a key partner in the joint US/Australian AN/BYG-1 Submarine Combat Control System.   

General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), provides mission critical solutions to the challenges facing our defense, intelligence and cyber security customers across all domains. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, General Dynamics Mission Systems employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide. For more information about the General Dynamics Mission Systems broad portfolio of capabilities, visit gdmissionsystems.com.  

Release From HII

SYDNEY, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, HII (NYSE: HII) announced the addition of Westley Group, a leading United Kingdom-based manufacturer of high-integrity metal castings, as a strategic supplier supporting the U.S. Navy’s submarine industrial base. 

This milestone marks another step forward in advancing allied defense collaboration under the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Westley Group is now approved by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, builder of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy, to deliver critical castings for U.S. Navy platforms. 

“Consistent with the need to have a more integrated supply chain, creating this new supplier that builds essential components adds to the incremental volume required to construct more submarines to meet national security needs,” said Matt Mulherin Jr., HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division vice president of supply chain and strategic sourcing. “This benefits everyone in the partnership and is a key step toward strengthening and creating a more robust supplier network to meet the expanded need for nuclear-powered submarines.” 

The partnership underscores HII’s commitment to expanding industrial integration across AUKUS nations and building a more resilient, globally connected supply chain to support submarine program execution. 

This collaboration highlights deepening industrial integration under the AUKUS framework and strengthens collective readiness across the trilateral partnership. 

From Advanced Navigation, Nov. 3, 2025 

Global, November 2025 - Advanced Navigation, a global leader in assured positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) and autonomous system, has announced the expansion of its Boreas range with the new 50 series – the company’s most compact fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) inertial navigation system (INS), delivering rapid North-seeking in challenging GNSS-denied maritime environments. 

The 50 Series includes two high-performing variants: 

• The A50 – an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) 

• The D50 – a strategic-grade INS 

Each is equipped with a North-seeking gyrocompass capable of rapidly determining true North. Powered by Advanced Navigation’s advanced sensor fusion, the series delivers intelligent, reliable navigation within a SWaP-optimized form factor. 

Featuring all-band GNSS receivers, the D50 offers enhancements in signal availability, heading accuracy, and greater resilience in challenging environments. For defense missions operating in particularly high-threat scenarios, it also offers an extra layer of protection through optional Electronic Protection (EP) capabilities. 

Maximilian Doemling, Head of Product at Advanced Navigation, said, 

“Accurately determining position and heading remains a persistent challenge in maritime and naval operations. That’s where the Boreas 50 Series comes in. It plugs straight into new and existing platforms and starts delivering fast, reliable positioning and North-seeking where traditional systems aren’t able to. 

For high-threat operational environments, the D50’s advanced EP capabilities deliver uncompromising protection against nefarious attempts of GNSS jamming and spoofing. It is a powerful counter-Electronic Warfare solution built to operate under direct electronic attack, giving operators the resilience and reliability they need to stay on course against any adversary.” 

Compact North-Seeking in Tough Environments 

Real-time North-seeking: The Boreas 50 series contains precise North-seeking gyrocompassing, capable of detecting Earth’s rotation to determine true North in real time, completely independent of GNSS signals or magnetic interference. This is housed in a compact form factor weighing 910 grams, enabling easy integration into space- and weight-constrained platforms. 

Advanced sensor fusion: Advanced Navigation’s proprietary sensor fusion draws on sophisticated algorithms to interpret and filter sensor data. The software is designed to dynamically weigh the input from each sensor, adjusting in real time based on reliability scores, environmental conditions, and operational context. This ensures continuous, high-confidence state estimation even when GNSS signals are lost or degraded. 

All-band GNSS capabilities: The D50 incorporates dual-antenna, all-band GNSS receivers, supporting access to the newer L6 band. This broad-spectrum support enables significantly faster convergence times to centimetre-level positioning accuracy. 

Optional EP: The D50 is available with optional EP functionality. While adversaries create GNSS signal attacks, the D50 proactively detects and neutralises these attacks to maintain a reliable, uninterrupted positioning. 

Confidence from Surface to Underwater 

The Boreas 50 Series integrates effortlessly into both new and legacy defense and commercial platforms to streamline upgrades, reduce installation time, and lower overall costs.This flexibility enables rapid deployment across a wide range of applications. 

Maritime vehicles: The denial of GNSS signals blinds a vessel’s precision capabilities, risking its ability to navigate effectively or accurately identify and track incoming threats. The 50 Series is engineered to endure GNSS denial, navigate precisely, and deliver assets on target to maintain tactical advantage on the seas. 

AUVs and ROVs: Accurate positioning is critical for AUVs and ROVs. The 50 series can find true North without magnetic sensors, eliminating magnetic interference. Advanced algorithms and integration with DVL and other sensors ensure long-endurance, high-accuracy underwater navigation. 

Autonomous Surface Vessel: The 50 series combines North-seeking capability, precision sensors, and survey-grade fusion algorithms to deliver consistent performance for ASVs. With dual-antenna GNSS, DVL, and environmental sensor integration in a compact housing, it provides a robust navigation core that withstands GNSS outages, harsh weather, and violent vessel motion. 

Boreas 50 Series Specifications 

• Heading accuracy: Gyro compassing 0.5 degrees secant latitude 

• Roll and pitch accuracy: 0.03 degrees 

• Positional accuracy: 0.01 m CEP50 

• Electronic Protection capabilities are available on the Boreas D50 

Defense Veterans Continue to Drive Rapid Innovation  

Beyond unmatched speed, Advanced Navigation’s defense team consists entirely of military veterans, a global force the company plans to more than double within the year to ensure its technologies are shaped by those who understand and have experienced the battlespace. 

The veterans partner closely with system integrators, program offices, and military end-users to deliver tailored APNT solutions that meet rigorous performance, compliance, and security standards. Their military experience enables seamless communication between technical teams and military operators, accelerating timelines and reducing the risk of misalignment. 

The Ultimate Capability is Availability 

Advanced Navigation’s products are developed and delivered on stringent timelines, supported by the company’s vertically integrated manufacturing. This sets a new standard by guaranteeing the shortest production lead times in the industry – ready in weeks, not years, and is backed by a three-year warranty. 

With a deep understanding of the applications its products operate in, Advanced Navigation’s global field experts are dedicated to meeting the needs of maritime and naval customers with responsiveness, exceptional quality and genuine care. The team partners closely with system integrators, OEMs, and end-users to deliver tailored solutions that overcome commonplace industry concerns such as integration challenges, cost uncertainty and risk aversion. By leveraging engineering excellence, unmatched speed and quality customer support, Advanced Navigation is accelerating the path towards maritime autonomy. 

Soon to be 100-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward D. Desmond from Boston was invited by the Navy to attend the Navy’s 250^th Birthday Celebrations in Philadelphia in early October.

He spent four days in Philadelphia and enjoyed everything from attending the Navy’s Gala Birthday dinner wearing his tuxedo to enjoying a visit to the Battleship USS New Jersey and the Cruiser USS Olympia wearing his newly issued Navy pea coat to keep him warm in the unusually cold weather.

At the Navy 250 Gala birthday dinner held in the Great Hall of the National Constitution Center at Independence National Historical Park, within sight of the Liberty Bell, Desmond received recognition from Navy leaders as he was the oldest Navy Sailor in attendance. 

He received a standing ovation from the more than 750 guests in attendance and was able to participate in the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake alongside Admiral Daryl Caudle, 34^th chief of naval operations.  

As the oldest Sailor in attendance, 99-year-old Desmond was then presented the first slice, with the second slice presented to the youngest Sailor, just 22 years old. The moment captured the Navy’s enduring legacy honoring those who have served before while also celebrating the newest generation of Navy Sailors who will continue to carry its proud traditions forward.

Challenge Coins

On the following day, Desmon was given a VIP tour of the historic Battleship New Jersey where he again met CNO Caudle to share sea stories and where the admiral presented Desmond with a commemorative Navy 250 challenge coin. 

Desmond had a surprise for the admiral as he countered by offering Caudle his own challenge coin, a unique coin representing and honoring the service of 10,000 landing craft support Sailors who served on LCS ships during the Pacific war. The U.S. built 130 of those heavily armed gunboats in a hurry in 1944 and 1945 and sent them to the Pacific. They were designed to provide close-in gunfire support for the landing boats carrying Marines and Army troops ashore at such places as Iwo Jima, the Philippines and Okinawa.

Desmond was also the guest of the crew of a smaller, 21st century Navy LCS rafted alongside the battleship New Jersey: the USS Billings (LCS 15) a Freedom-class littoral combat ship. 

Desmond noted with delight he had the privilege of being aboard the Billings two years earlier when the ship was at its homeport at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. Desmond got a tour of the ship and had a front-row seat on the bow for observing Navy small boat forces performing a mock assault on a small ship on the Delaware River.    

As Desmond was departing the Billings, the senior gunners mate presented him with a shell casing from the bow gun, a 57mm Mk 110 naval gun capable of a high rate of fire against air, surface, and shore-based threats. 

Desmond told the gunners mate that his battle station assignment aboard LCS 128 eight decades ago was at a 20mm anti-aircraft gun and, with a twinkle in his eye, let the gunners mate know that “my 20mm gun had a firing rate of 300 rounds per minute” compared to the 220 rounds per minute firing rate of the MK 110.

That same evening, Desmond rallied and attended a 2.5 hour “Victory at Sea” concert which included performances by the U.S. Navy Band, the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and a special performance from Patti LaBelle.

On the last day of Desmond’s trip, he was the guest of a different kind of Navy, the famous Schuylkill Navy, sponsor of all of the rowing clubs in Philadelphia. Desmond took a tour of Boathouse Row, including the Saint Joseph’s University Boathouse, and took a few minutes to try out one of the rowing machines. 

He had worked up an appetite, so he asked if there was any place close by where he could get a Philly cheesesteak. His wish was granted and he gave the iconic Philly sandwich a big thumbs up.

The indefatigable 99-year-old then headed to his hotel to get ready for a second Navy birthday dinner hosted by the Navy Museum Development Foundation at the prestigious Union League Club.   

Coming Up on 100

Desmond’s daughter was his accomplice on his visit to Philadelphia and reported her father said the Navy’s 250^th birthday celebration weekend was a once-in-a-lifetime event and he would send a big thank you to the Navy for hosting him at such a prestigious event.   

Desmond and his family are now looking to celebrate his 100^th birthday on Nov. 10, which just happens to be the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday.

Desmond again, with a twinkle in his eye, said maybe he should send one of his challenge coins to the commandant of the Marine Corps and see if he might get invited to come back to Philadelphia for the Marine’s 250^th birthday.

Release From Anduril Industries

Just seven weeks after the Royal Australian Navy awarded a A$1.7 billion Program of Record, Anduril today officially opened its new, state-of-the-art Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney. The opening — attended by the Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry; Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, Chief of Navy; Dr Shane Arnott, SVP, Anduril Industries; and David Goodrich OAM, Chairman & CEO Anduril Australia — coincides with a major milestone: the first Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XL-AUV) has rolled off the line ahead of schedule and is ready for sea acceptance testing ahead of planned delivery to the Royal Australian Navy in January 2026. 

The factory opening follows the Royal Australian Navy’s award of a A$1.7BN contract to Anduril Australia to deliver a large fleet of Ghost Sharks over the next five years. Anduril announced the successful Program of Record designation after successfully completing the co-development contract and delivering three Ghost Shark XL-AUVs ahead of schedule and on-budget. This was a part of the AU$140M co-development contract to design and develop three Ghost Shark XL-AUVs in three years. 

The new 7,400m² facility is purpose-built to produce Ghost Shark, and its commercial baseline the Dive-XL, at-scale and, subject to Government approval, for export to allies and partners around the world. It combines advanced robotic manufacturing, AI-driven logistics and a custom test tank for in-water verification of buoyancy, electrical systems and safety before sea trials. 

The Ghost Shark manufacture program has commenced with Low-Rate Initial Production, moving to full scale production in 2026. It incorporates input from a supply chain of over 40 Australian SMEs and companies that provide a broad range of components, subcomponents and materials. 

Key facts 

• A$1.7 billion Program of Record awarded by the Royal Australian Navy. 

• First vehicle off the line and ready for undersea testing; planned RAN delivery January 2026. 

• Factory footprint: 7,400m² with integrated robotic production, AI ground vehicles and gantry tracking. 

• Custom in-water test tank and adjacent engineering labs for live software and hardware tuning. 

• Production ramp: Low-Rate Initial Production underway, transitioning to full-scale production in 2026. 

• Supply chain: over 40 Australian SMEs contributing parts, components and materials. 

• Local impact: more than 150 high-skilled jobs created and a strengthened sovereign supply chain. 

Beyond the XL-AUV, the facility is configured to manufacture Dive-XL and Dive-LD variants and is ready to support future platforms such as Anduril’s Copperhead family of high-speed Autonomous Underwater Vehicles 

Factory is ready to produce vehicles for export to allies and partners around the world (subject to Australian government approval) 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP 

“The Ghost Shark is the most high-tech long range autonomous underwater capability that exists in the world today and the Albanese Government is proud to have supported its development,” said the Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry. “The opening of this factory is about backing Australian ingenuity and innovation, but also securing hundreds of well-paid high-skilled jobs and a future made in Australia.” 

Quotes attributed to David Goodrich OAM, Chairman and CEO Anduril Australia 

David Goodrich OAM, Chairman & CEO, Anduril Australia, said: “Today marks a defining moment in our mission to bring sovereign undersea capability to Australia. With the opening of this new facility, we are not only building local infrastructure and workforce — we are investing in innovation, in partnerships, and in the future defence of our nation. Affordable, disruptive and distributed mass is a central tenet of undersea deterrence, and we look forward to supporting Australia and its allies by producing Ghost Sharks right here in Sydney.” 

Release From Hanwha USA, Oct. 29, 2025 

On Wednesday, President Trump addressed the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit and reinforced his partnership with South Korea to bolster shipyards in the United States.  

“And today we’re not really building ships and we’re going to start and we’re going to have a very thriving, very thriving shipbuilding industry and we’re working it with South Korea very much so. In fact, some of the people in this room, they bought the Philadelphia shipyard. 

“I think it’s going to be one of the most successful yards in the world anywhere in the world. It’s great.” 

Why it matters: In August 2025, Hanwha announced a multibillion-dollar infrastructure plan for Hanwha Philly Shipyard that will be dedicated to the installation of two additional docks and three quays to increase capacity and is reviewing plans for a new block assembly facility.  

In addition to its multibillion-dollar commitment to build capacity, it will also train skilled shipbuilding personnel and bolster the shipbuilding industrial base. Hanwha’s planned expansion at Philly Shipyard, from roughly one ship annually to as many as 20, aligns directly with U.S. goals to restore competitive shipbuilding capacity and rebuild the industrial workforce. 

Read more about Hanwha’s commitment to the Philly Shipyard here.   

The full transcript of President Trump’s remarks can be found here.  

Joint Demonstration Marks First Major Collaboration Between Global Shipbuilder and U.S. Defense Technology Company 

Release From Hanwha

SEOUL — Hanwha is accelerating its entry into the U.S. market through a strategic collaboration with U.S.-based autonomy solutions company Havoc AI, following a joint technology demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote operations for maritime unmanned systems.  

On Tuesday, Havoc AI CEO Paul Lwin and members of the company’s research team visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, where they reviewed Hanwha’s naval shipbuilding and maritime systems capabilities.  

Havoc AI then conducted a live demonstration in which a Havoc AI unmanned surface vessel (USV) off the coast of Hawaii was remotely controlled from Geoje, Korea.  

“Hawnha’s global defense strategy is focused on our evolution from the leading Korean aerospace company to a leading global aerospace company,” said Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Global Defense. “This partnership seeks to incorporate both our technology and industrial strength with a leading U.S. technology company to create new, scalable capabilities in the U.S. while deepening the interoperability of our partners.”  

“Harnessing Hanwha Group’s maritime systems expertise and shipbuilding capabilities together with Havoc AI’s autonomy will expand the utility of existing vessels while enabling rapid fielding of new unmanned systems,” said Paul Lwin, CEO of Havoc AI.  

The partnership will aim to integrate Hanwha Ocean’s warship construction expertise; Hanwha Systems’ combat management system (CMS) and platform/system integration capabilities; and Havoc AI’s advanced autonomous navigation software to deliver deployable products and solutions. Such a move could also provide scalable solutions across the defense and maritime domains.  

Additionally, the collaboration highlights Hanwha’s commitment to investing in new technologies to expand its industrial partnership for allies across the United States, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.  

“We will leverage Hanwha Systems’ CMS and naval platform integration strengths, along with intra-group synergies, to work with Havoc AI and make tangible inroads into the global maritime unmanned systems market spanning Korea and the United States,” said Ryu Moon-Ghee, head of the Naval Business Division at Hanwha Systems. 

Lockheed Martin will rapidly equip Saildrone USVs with all-domain defense technology for lethal military applications. 

From Saildrone, Oct. 29, 2025 

BETHESDA, Md. — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced a $50 million investment in Saildrone, a global leader in maritime autonomous systems. This strategic collaboration will deliver commercially available unmanned surface vehicles (USV) equipped with lethal, combat-proven defense technology. The companies will collaborate with a goal of delivering integrations, including on-water, live fire demonstrations, in 2026. 

Why it matters 

This commercial relationship marries the world’s most sophisticated and trusted defense technology with the most capable and operationally tested USV technology. This combination will be key to realizing the US Navy’s USV vision for critical missions such as fleet defense, undersea surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack. Work will begin immediately, applying an open architecture approach along with secure command and control capability to integrate Lockheed Martin’s JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) system onto the Saildrone Surveyor platform. 

Larger Saildrone vehicles are already in development to support significantly larger payloads and capabilities to include the Lockheed Martin Mk70 VLS launcher and thin line towed arrays. 

Expert perspectives 

Stephanie C. Hill, president, Rotary and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin:  

“Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are leading the way to answer President Trump’s call for the defense industry to act differently and leverage the strength of all of industry for our national defense. Together, we are combining the most sophisticated commercial and defense technologies to deliver a lethal naval solution at speed and scale. The nation needs this capability to maintain dominance over our adversaries, and we will deliver it.”  

Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO, Saildrone: 

“For the last 10 years, we have focused on evolving the reliability, endurance, and autonomy of the Saildrone platform, which has been demonstrated in over 2 million nautical miles of active customer missions. With our technology proven, de-risked, and mission-ready, now is the right time to augment Saildrone USVs with sophisticated payloads to meet warfighter needs. This collaboration will give Saildrone the tools we need to transform the capabilities of our platforms, to include electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, sophisticated surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as deploying kinetic effects, all seamlessly integrated with Lockheed Martin’s trusted command, control, and fire control systems.” 

Additional Information 

Fast Fielding of Commercial Technology for Defense: Saildrone USVs have been accomplishing complex maritime missions in the remote ocean since 2013. First deployed by the U.S. Navy in 2021, they are currently operational today, working 24/7/365 alongside American Sailors in combat theaters around the world. This commercial relationship will harness Saildrone’s decade-plus of commercial expertise to quickly field new defense applications. Saildrone will maintain all shipbuilding responsibilities, and Lockheed Martin will serve as lead mission integrator. 

Investing Ahead of Need and Accelerating Capability: Lockheed Martin is investing in Saildrone to accelerate and de-risk deployment of urgently needed defense technologies. The investment will establish a collaborative relationship between Lockheed Martin and Saildrone systems integration teams to accelerate manufacture of new larger platforms and integrate Lockheed Martin payloads onto a variety of platforms. Lockheed Martin is also investing in its existing products to facilitate fully autonomous operations.  

Ready Now: The companies are focusing on integrating ready-now, proven capabilities with Saildrone USVs to get unmatched lethality into the hands of warfighters as soon as possible.  

Powering Economic Growth: Developing these transformational USVs will create jobs at Austal USA on the coast of the Gulf of America, where Saildrone’s larger systems are produced. However, this work is shipyard-agnostic; as we scale, it has the potential to power economic growth at all of America’s shipyards and across the wider maritime and defense industrial bases. 

Advanced jet trainer program could bring major investment and jobs to Kansas 

From Textron Aviation Defense 

WICHITA, Kan. (Oct. 28, 2025) — Textron Aviation Defense LLC, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced that if awarded the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program contract by the U.S. Navy, it will assemble the Beechcraft M-346N at its east campus in Wichita, Kansas — the historic home of the Beechcraft brand for nearly a century. The announcement reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering the most advanced jet integrated training system for the U.S. Navy. 

Textron Aviation Defense expects to invest more than $38 million to modernize more than 50,000 square feet of existing manufacturing space on the company’s east Wichita campus if awarded the contract. The program is expected to create an estimated 100 direct manufacturing jobs in Wichita, along with numerous indirect jobs supporting aircraft production and assembly. 

 Wichita has long been the center of innovation for Beechcraft, and we’re proud to continue that tradition as we prepare to support the Navy’s next-generation training needs. This announcement underscores our 85-year legacy of supporting the U.S. government with training aircraft from the American heartland.Travis Tyler, president & CEO, Textron Aviation Defense 

The Beechcraft M-346N is the centerpiece of a low-risk, operationally proven integrated training system featuring Live-Virtual-Constructive capabilities optimized for advanced naval training. With more than 100 M-346 aircraft produced by Leonardo and a decade of performance training aviators for fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft, the M-346N offers a reliable, high-performance solution for the Navy’s next-generation training needs. 

The U.S. Navy has issued several Requests for Information ahead of an anticipated Request for Proposals for the UJTS program. Textron Aviation Defense anticipates the Navy will announce the contract award in January 2027 and believes that it is well-positioned to support the Navy’s objective of accelerating Initial Operational Capability (IOC). 

“Textron Aviation’s decision to assemble the Beechcraft M-346N in Wichita is a testament to the world-class aviation workforce present in Kansas,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “This aircraft is the right solution to meet the Navy’s future training requirements. I will continue my work on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to make certain our Navy pilots have the necessary resources and equipment to support their mission. 

About the Beechcraft M-346N 

 The Beechcraft M-346N is a twin-engine, tandem-seat aircraft equipped with fully digital flight controls and avionics. It features a fly-by-wire flight control system with quadruple redundancy, a Head-Up Display and Large Area Display in each cockpit and hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls. Innovative safety features include the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS). 

Powered by two Honeywell F124-GA-200 turbofan engines, the M-346N delivers a maximum cruise speed of more than 590 knots and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. Its advanced aerodynamic design enables exceptional maneuverability and energy management, while the elevated rear cockpit provides instructors with excellent visibility throughout all phases of flight. 

Textron Aviation’s commitment to assembling the Beechcraft M-346N in Wichita is a testament to their rich heritage in the Air Capital of the World and their responsiveness to the needs of the United States Navy. As a steady defender of our aviation industry, I commend Textron’s leadership for investing in our skilled Kansas workforce and strengthening our military readiness.U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (Kansas)