Missile contract with NATO allies at risk over House spending cuts: Navy

Missile contract with NATO allies at risk over House spending cuts: Navy
Missile contract with NATO allies at risk over House spending cuts: Navy

A House bill cuts about $118 million earmarked for the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile, a Raytheon-made anti-ship weapon being developed by the US and 10 NATO allies, plus Australia.

US OKs F-35s & F-18s For Finland Fighter Fight

US OKs F-35s & F-18s For Finland Fighter Fight
US OKs F-35s & F-18s For Finland Fighter Fight

The new fighters are part of a much larger modernization effort in Helsinki that includes replacing seven retiring guided missile ships with four bleeding edge multirole corvettes.

In First, NATO Ships Share Target Data & Knock Down Ballistic Missiles

In First, NATO Ships Share Target Data & Knock Down Ballistic Missiles
In First, NATO Ships Share Target Data & Knock Down Ballistic Missiles

As Washington continues to push NATO to invest more in modernization and become more closely integrated, a 13-ship task force showed that change is possible.

If Congress Punts Spending Bill, Navy’s New Frigate Would Suffer

If Congress Punts Spending Bill, Navy’s New Frigate Would Suffer
If Congress Punts Spending Bill, Navy’s New Frigate Would Suffer

The Navy is looking to get a new class of frigates in the water as soon as possible, but the budget wrangling between Congress and the White House might mean that gets put on hold.

Saudis Save Wisconsin Shipbuilder: Fills Gap Between LCS & Frigates At Marinette

Saudis Save Wisconsin Shipbuilder: Fills Gap Between LCS & Frigates At Marinette
Saudis Save Wisconsin Shipbuilder: Fills Gap Between LCS & Frigates At Marinette

WASHINGTON: Four years after Lockheed Martin inked a $11.2 billion deal to sell Saudi Arabia an upgunned variant of its Littoral Combat Ship, the company is starting work on the first vessel later this year, a company official confirmed Wednesday. The work on four Multi-Mission Surface Combatants will take place at Fincantieri-owned Marinette Marine in…

Zumwalt Close to Losing Gun, But Open to EW and Directed Energy

Zumwalt Close to Losing Gun, But Open to EW and Directed Energy
Zumwalt Close to Losing Gun, But Open to EW and Directed Energy

WASHINGTON: The once-revolutionary prospects of the Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer continue to be whittled away. Having lost some of its touted stealth capabilities and suffered a series of engine and electrical problems, now it’s likely to ditch its long-troubled gun. The Advanced Gun System on the Zumwalt never lived up to its billing. When the Navy…

Navy Buys Lots More Fighters; Ships Up Slightly But 355 Not In Sight

Navy Buys Lots More Fighters; Ships Up Slightly But 355 Not In Sight
Navy Buys Lots More Fighters; Ships Up Slightly But 355 Not In Sight

PENTAGON: The U.S. Navy’s budget is growing by over $12 billion in 2019, and more ships are on their way – but not enough to get to the hoped-for 355-ship fleet any time before the 2050s. In unveiling its $194.1 billion budget for the 2019 fiscal year on Monday, Navy officials highlighted the increase in…

47 Seconds From Hell: Last-Ditch Robotic Missile Defense

47 Seconds From Hell: Last-Ditch Robotic Missile Defense
47 Seconds From Hell: Last-Ditch Robotic Missile Defense

WASHINGTON: In a report out this morning, CSBA scholars Bryan Clark and Mark Gunzinger argue that we don’t just need new technology and new tactics to confront the growing missile threats from China and Russia, though lasers, railguns, and hypervelocity projectiles are all useful. We need a different missile defense mindset than what we have today, one that trusts…

Growing Teeth: Upgunning The Surface Navy

Growing Teeth: Upgunning The Surface Navy
Growing Teeth: Upgunning The Surface Navy

Last week, the US Navy made waves by announcing two bold ideas for the surface fleet: a new concept of warfighting called “distributed lethality” — “If it floats, it fights” — and a new name for the controversial Littoral Combat Ship — now called a “frigate.” We asked Bryan Clark, a former special assistant to…

47 Seconds From Hell:  A Challenge To Navy Doctrine

47 Seconds From Hell:  A Challenge To Navy Doctrine
47 Seconds From Hell: A Challenge To Navy Doctrine

WASHINGTON: Someone shoots a cruise missile at you. How far away would you like to stop it: over 200 miles out or less than 35? If you answered “over 200,” congratulations, you’re thinking like the US Navy, which has spent billions of dollars over decades to develop ever more sophisticated anti-missile defenses. According to Bryan…