Navy/USMC Archives - Defense Daily

Senators Push Navy Against Single Destroyer Request In FY ’27

Rich Abott — Fri, 22 May 2026 21:05:20 +0000

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the two senators from Maine last week pushed back on Navy officials for only requesting one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) […]

Navy Looks To Eventually Assemble Battleship At HII Newport News; Faces More Dem Opposition

Rich Abott — Thu, 21 May 2026 21:46:27 +0000

The Navy told lawmakers this week it found a dry dock at HII’s [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard it thinks can use for final assembly of the new Trump-class battleship […]

Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections

Rich Abott — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:48:20 +0000

The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]

CBO Looks At Options To Quickly Increase Navy Missile Capability

Rich Abott — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:36:48 +0000

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published this week examined three options to quickly increase the size and missile capability of the Navy’s fleet within five years in an effort […]

CNO Details New Ohio SSBN Extension Strategy

Rich Abott — Tue, 19 May 2026 21:21:34 +0000

The Navy’s top officer Tuesday outlined updates in the service’s strategy to extend the service life of several nuclear-armed Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that could result in quicker turnarounds […]

MQ-25 Okayed For Production With Milestone C Approval

Rich Abott — Tue, 19 May 2026 20:38:30 +0000

The Navy on Tuesday announced the Boeing [BA] MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned tanker aircraft officially received its Milestone C approval, setting it up for Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) later this […]

RTX Wins ONR Contract To Develop Multiplexing Radar Software

Rich Abott — Mon, 18 May 2026 21:52:17 +0000

RTX’s [RTX] Raytheon segment recently won a $22.6 million contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop new advanced software that will allow radars to perform multiple missions […]

Navy Reveals Long-Term MUSV Fleet Size; Using OTA For Off The Shelf Vehicles

Rich Abott — Fri, 15 May 2026 21:41:35 +0000

The Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan published on May 11 revealed more details about how the service plans to acquire Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs), including the acquisition strategy and long-term […]

RTX Wins SeaRAM Ship Self-Defense Contract For Australian Frigates

Rich Abott — Wed, 13 May 2026 19:21:11 +0000

RTX [RTX] on Monday announced its Raytheon SeaRAM ship self-defense system was picked by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to be used on Australia’s 11 upcoming Sea3000 Mogami-class General Purpose Frigates. […]

HAC-D Lawmakers Skeptical Of Battleship; CNO Says Will Use Ford Reactor

Rich Abott — Tue, 12 May 2026 22:00:43 +0000

Several lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee’s defense (HAC-D) subcommittee Tuesday were dubious of the Navy’s approach to the new Trump-class battleship in the fiscal year 2027 budget request and […]

Shipbuilding Plan Reveals Battleship Will be Nuclear Powered and Armed, Pitches Some Foreign Ship Construction

Rich Abott — Tue, 12 May 2026 18:32:12 +0000

The Navy’s latest 30-year shipbuilding plan released Monday reveals the Trump-class battleship will be nuclear powered and armed, extend to a 15-ship class while also explaining plans to allow foreign […]

Navy Establishes Three More PAEs For Aviation, Mission Systems, Munitions

Rich Abott — Mon, 11 May 2026 21:33:58 +0000

The Navy on Monday announced it established three more Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) in another step towards acquisition reform and reorganization: Aviation, Mission Systems, and Munitions. “The needs of the […]

Blue Water Autonomy Announces Power, Propulsion, Manufacturing Partners

Cal Biesecker — Thu, 07 May 2026 21:43:52 +0000

Autonomous vessel developer Blue Water Autonomy on Thursday announced some of its key partners for the supply and production of its Liberty Class ship it has entered into the Navy’s […]

MARTAC USV Completes Eight Day Autonomous Demo For Navy

Rich Abott — Thu, 07 May 2026 21:43:04 +0000

Unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developer Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC) this week announced its T38 Devil Ray vehicle recently completed an eight-day long autonomous test mission for the Navy. A […]

HII Working Through Carrier And LHA Amphib Delays

Rich Abott — Wed, 06 May 2026 21:36:23 +0000

HII [II] officials on Tuesday explained how they see the company pushing past delays for an upcoming aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ships and how the process is improving. The […]

DARPA Looks To Next-Gen Small Autonomous Undersea Vehicles

Rich Abott — Wed, 06 May 2026 21:06:46 +0000

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) last month released a solicitation for its two year-long Deep Thoughts program looking to rapidly develop next-generation small autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs) in […]

HII CEO Says Sub Contracts Expected In Second Quarter, Not Focused On Auxiliary Increases

Rich Abott — Tue, 05 May 2026 22:50:17 +0000

Delayed multi ship contracts for 15 attack and ballistic missile submarines are finally expected in the second quarter of 2026, HII [HII] CEO Chris Kastner said in a company earnings […]

Shipbuilding Advisor Toti Performing Duties Of Number Two Navy Civilian

Rich Abott — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:15:47 +0000

Bill Toti, a former Navy officer and industry executive who served a a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg on shipbuilding issues, was named performing the duties […]

Navy Leaders Want More Industry Entrants, Potentially Multiple Vendors Per Program

Rich Abott — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:58:44 +0000

Navy leadership this week emphasized the need for the Pentagon to move faster and deliver more capability includes using new entrants and potentially using multiple vendors for munitions programs. Newly […]

Wasp Amphib Extending Five Years; Navy And Marine Corps Studying More Amphibs

Rich Abott — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:44:25 +0000

The Navy and Marine Corps have decided to extend the service life of the USS Wasp (LHD-1) amphibious assault ship by five years and are awaiting another study looking into […]

First Columbia Sub By 2028 Is “Heavy Lift” But Navy May Buy More Still

Rich Abott — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:41:17 +0000

The Defense Department’s new submarine production chief last week admitted it will be a “heavy lift” to get the first new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) delivered as planned by […]

Navy’s MQ-25A Unmanned Tanker Finishes First Test Flight

Rich Abott — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:13:12 +0000

The first Boeing [BA] MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned tanker aircraft conducted its first flight test on Saturday a year later than previously planned, the Navy and Boeing revealed on Monday. […]

Electric Boat Gets First AUKUS Contract To Support Allied Subs

Rich Abott — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:52:23 +0000

The Navy last Thursday awarded General Dynamics’ [GD] Electric Boat division an initial $197 million contract focused on supporting the AUKUS program as it helps Australia set up the capability […]

Navy Studying International Ship Production And Increasing Domestic Capacity

Rich Abott — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:36:52 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Navy is starting a study on how to increase shipbuilding capacity both domestically and how to potentially expand to buying modules or whole ships outside […]

Breaking: Navy Secretary Phelan Out

Rich Abott — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:32:29 +0000

The Pentagon early Wednesday evening suddenly announced Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was immediately leaving the administration. Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao will serve as the acting […]

Ford-Class Carrier Review By Navy Leadership To Last Through May

Rich Abott — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:40:07 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Navy leadership in conducting a review of Ford-class aircraft carriers it expects to conclude within a month that could inform changes for the next pair of […]

Navy Still Studying Fifth Shipyard, Weighing Against More Shifts At Existing Yards

Rich Abott — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:40:57 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Navy’s top officer Monday said the service is still looking at a potential fifth naval shipyard, but is also balancing the concept against adding more […]

Navy Pushes Billions To Buy First Battleship In 2028 With Aggressive Schedule

Rich Abott — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:18:38 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Navy plans to buy the first new Trump-class battleship BBG(X) in 2028 and wants to spend upwards of $43.5 billion over the next five years […]

Navy Tests New Long Range Version Of JDAM

Rich Abott — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:07:29 +0000

The Navy earlier this month tested a new Boeing [BA] GBU-75 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Long Range (LR) variant in an effort to add another affordable munition to carrier […]

Navy’s F/A-XX Down-Select Coming In August, CNO Says

Rich Abott — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:58:34 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.— The Navy’s top officer Monday confirmed the Pentagon in August plans to down-select the winning bid for the F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter for the carrier air wing. Speaking […]

Fincantieri Gets $30 Million Contract To Start Work On Four LSMs

Rich Abott — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:56:00 +0000

The Navy awarded Fincantieri Marinette Marine a $30 million long lead time contract for materials procurement and engineering activity to start building four Medium Landing Ships (LSMs), both the company […]

CNO Sees Role For Foreign Shipbuilders To Build And Maintain Some Auxiliary Ships, Invest In U.S.

Rich Abott — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:29:06 +0000

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on Monday said he envisions leveraging foreign shipyards to improve the U.S. Navy by having them maintain and build some auxiliary ships while investing […]

Caudle: Golden Fleet Focuses On High-Low Mix To Tailor Solutions, Frigate For Robotic C2

Rich Abott — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:26:20 +0000

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Monday explained how the Golden Fleet initiative connects to the High-Low mix in his Fighting Instructions strategy and hinted the initial focus of the […]

Navy To Cut Off Boise Sub After Years Of Maintenance Delays

Rich Abott — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:09:39 +0000

The Navy last Friday announced it decided to finally inactivate the Los Angeles-class USS Boise (SSN-764) attack submarine after nearly a decade of maintenance delays and backlogs. The decision is […]

U.S. Razorback UUV Launched From French Sub

Rich Abott — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:57:43 +0000

The U.S. and French navies recently demonstrated interoperability by launching a U.S. Razorback Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) from a French nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN). In the operation, a French Suffren-class […]

HII Signs MoU with Second Physical AI Firm To Expand Shipbuilding Automation

Rich Abott — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:02:07 +0000

HII [HII] this week signed its second memorandum of understanding (MoU) with another “Physical AI” firm as it ramps up efforts to increase production through more automation. The April 6 […]

Ultra Maritime Nabs Navy Sonobuoys Contract

Rich Abott — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:23:00 +0000

Ultra Maritime won a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract from the Navy for its AN/SSQ-125B sonobuoys, the company revealed Monday. According to a company statement, this sole source firm-fixed-price contract […]

Pentagon More Than Doubles Funding For Missile Defense Interceptors In 2027 Request

Rich Abott — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:56:13 +0000

The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request is seeking billions of dollars more to procure missile defense interceptors, according to documents published Friday. The Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) procurement budget […]

Anduril Wins Naval Postgrad School Missile Innovation Challenge

Rich Abott — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:27:45 +0000

Anduril Industries recently won a next-generation tactical missile development prize challenge sponsored by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Office of Naval Research (ONR), the school announced last Thursday. The […]

Trump’s FY ‘27 Navy Budget Request Doubles 2026 Ship Level

Rich Abott — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:23:45 +0000

The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 topline budget request seeks 34 total Navy ships for $65.8 billion, doubling the ship count enacted in the FY ‘26 budget by adding more […]

Lockheed Martin Wins Another $1.36 Billion For CPS Modification

Rich Abott — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:48:07 +0000

The Navy’s Strategic Systems Program awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $1.36 billion modification on March 31 to continue work for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon. The Navy is […]

Caudle Sees Frustration In Navy MUSV Changes, Previews Containerization Plan

Rich Abott — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:48:08 +0000

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on Tuesday acknowledged industry’s frustration with changing Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) plans after the latest switch from the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) […]

Navy Issues RFP For T-45 Trainer Aircraft Replacement

Rich Abott — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:50:06 +0000

The Navy issued its final Request for Proposals (RFP) on March 26 for its Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) that aims to succeed the current T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft. The […]

Hanwha Philly Shipyard Gets First Navy Work, Subcontract For NGLS

Rich Abott — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:09:39 +0000

Hanwha Philly Shipyard and its sister company Hanwha Defense USA won their first project for the U.S. Navy as a subcontractor to Vard Marine US Inc. to work on part […]

Bath Iron Works Designer Strike Ends With Ratification Of New Contract

Rich Abott — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:05:20 +0000

A strike of ship designers at General Dynamics’s [GD] Bath Iron Works (BIW) ended last Saturday when members of the Bath Marine Draftsman’s Association (BMDA) ratified a new four-year contract, […]

Hundreds of Bath Iron Works Ship Designers Go On Strike

Rich Abott — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:21:30 +0000

A union of ship designers at shipbuilder General Dynamics [GD] Bath Iron Works (BIW) went on strike Monday after members rejected the company’s new four-year contract proposal last weekend. The […]

Navy Changes MUSV Plans Again, Cancelling MASC And Switches To Marketplace Family Of Systems Approach

Rich Abott — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:59:05 +0000

The Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) on Thursday announced it was cancelling the Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) medium-sized Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) program […]

Lockheed Martin Rolls Out Low-Cost Containerized Grizzly Launcher

Rich Abott — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:06:44 +0000

Lockheed Martin [LMT] on Tuesday unveiled its new Grizzly low-cost containerized launcher that can fire Hellfire missiles from a 10-foot shipping container, having recently completed its first live-fire tests. The […]

NASSCO And Vard Marine Picked For Next Gen Logistics Ship Design Work

Rich Abott — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:31:44 +0000

The Navy last Friday awarded General Dynamics’ [GD] National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) and VARD Marine Inc. contracts for concept design work for the Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS). […]

Master Boat Builders To Start Fabricating Modules For Austal’s Navy Orders

Rich Abott — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:33:10 +0000

Last week Master Boat Builders announced it signed its first formal production contract with Austal USA to become a “key subcontractor” as part of the push for distributed that will […]