EXCLUSIVE: 2 key senators urge Navy to change course on large USV program

EXCLUSIVE: 2 key senators urge Navy to change course on large USV program
EXCLUSIVE: 2 key senators urge Navy to change course on large USV program

Lawmakers have been skeptical of the Navy’s unmanned programs since 2019, but seem to be warming up to some more than others.

Navy starts building hub for surface, subsurface drones

Navy starts building hub for surface, subsurface drones
Navy starts building hub for surface, subsurface drones

The new facility will house the most high-profile, upcoming unmanned maritime systems.

Navy’s Unmanned Plan Inches Forward; Ships To Have Crew Quarters

Navy’s Unmanned Plan Inches Forward; Ships To Have Crew Quarters
Navy’s Unmanned Plan Inches Forward; Ships To Have Crew Quarters

“It is too early to say where we will end up across that portfolio, but we are investigating a range of options via our prototyping efforts,” Capt. Pete Small told the virtual Surface Navy convention

Navy Acting Undersec: USS Ford, LCS ‘Not Our Fault’

Navy Acting Undersec: USS Ford, LCS ‘Not Our Fault’
Navy Acting Undersec: USS Ford, LCS ‘Not Our Fault’

“Some of these people may have been in these jobs too long,” Navy Undersecretary Gregory Slavonic suggested of House and Senate Armed Services committee lawmakers, suggesting they should be subject to term limits.

Navy Plans Hammerhead Mines To Box In Chinese, Russian Subs

Navy Plans Hammerhead Mines To Box In Chinese, Russian Subs
Navy Plans Hammerhead Mines To Box In Chinese, Russian Subs

The Hammerhead mine would be delivered to sites by underwater drones, and “detect, classify, and defeat” manned or unmanned submarines, the Navy says.

EXCLUSIVE Navy Chief Demands Network Linking All Ships ‘This Decade’

EXCLUSIVE Navy Chief Demands Network Linking All Ships ‘This Decade’
EXCLUSIVE Navy Chief Demands Network Linking All Ships ‘This Decade’

The Navy isn’t part of an Army/Air Force project to build a new tactical network, though the CNO said he wants the Navy’s version to “plug into JADC2” once it’s up and running. 

DoD Ponders 581-Ship Fleet, As Navy Shipyard Problems Persist

DoD Ponders 581-Ship Fleet, As Navy Shipyard Problems Persist
DoD Ponders 581-Ship Fleet, As Navy Shipyard Problems Persist

“We don’t have 20 years to do this,” said Rep. Rob Wittman. “We need to be modernizing our yards now…the upgrades need to be done at a faster pace.”

USS Vinson Flies F-35s & Quietly Readies For New Refueling Drone

USS Vinson Flies F-35s & Quietly Readies For New Refueling Drone
USS Vinson Flies F-35s & Quietly Readies For New Refueling Drone

Headlines have celebrated the carrier’s new F-35s — but the Navy also added upgrades to the Vinson for the MQ-25 refueling drone, which could be a game-changer for future ops.

How The US Is Preparing To Hunt New Chinese, Russian Subs

How The US Is Preparing To Hunt New Chinese, Russian Subs
How The US Is Preparing To Hunt New Chinese, Russian Subs

“It’s pretty well-known now that our homeland is no longer a sanctuary,” Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, Submarine Forces Atlantic says. “So we have to be prepared here to conduct high-end combat operations in local waters.”

Esper Echoes Reagan Buildup, Calls For Billions More For Ships

Esper Echoes Reagan Buildup, Calls For Billions More For Ships
Esper Echoes Reagan Buildup, Calls For Billions More For Ships

The SecDef wants more money for the Navy’s shipbuilding account, and one way to get it is to dip into an existing account, a powerful Congressman says.

Navy’s New Unmanned Fleet Likely To Hunt Chinese & Russian Subs

Navy’s New Unmanned Fleet Likely To Hunt Chinese & Russian Subs
Navy’s New Unmanned Fleet Likely To Hunt Chinese & Russian Subs

Tracking and harassing submarines will likely be a key job for the new generation of networked, unmanned ships.

Navy Awards Study Contracts On Large Unmanned Ship – As Congress Watches Closely

Navy Awards Study Contracts On Large Unmanned Ship – As Congress Watches Closely
Navy Awards Study Contracts On Large Unmanned Ship – As Congress Watches Closely

Today’s deals for designs — Large Unmanned Surface Vessels displacing 2-3,000 tons — reflect the ‘take it slow’ approach being forced on the service.

Navy Inks Deal For New Unmanned Fleet

Navy Inks Deal For New Unmanned Fleet
Navy Inks Deal For New Unmanned Fleet

The $34 million deal marks the service’s first real thrust to get unmanned ships into the water, despite Congressional worries the service is moving too fast.

Congress Pumps The Brakes On Navy, Demands Answers From OSD

Congress Pumps The Brakes On Navy, Demands Answers From OSD
Congress Pumps The Brakes On Navy, Demands Answers From OSD

Lawmakers “are frustrated by the Navy’s last decade of cost overruns on new programs, programs being late, and technology being the thing that holds them up,” Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute says.