WASHINGTON — Textron Airborne Solutions, a business unit of Textron Inc., announced on May 1 that its Airborne Tactical Advantage Company subsidiary (ATAC) has been selected as a provider of contracted air services under the U.S. Navy’s Terminal Attack Controller…
DARPA Director Praises Navy’s Aggressive Use of Autonomous Sea Hunter
The director of the nation’s premier government innovation organization is excited about the U.S. Navy’s aggressive use of an unmanned surface vessel to experiment with the military applications of advanced automation and artificial intelligence. “The most exciting thing I’m really…
Lockheed Develops Rack to Make F-35A/C a Six-Shooter
ARLINGTON, Va. — The builder of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter has designed a new weapons rack to enable the aircraft to carry two more missiles internally. The new rack, called Sidekick, enables each of the two weapons…
Navy Leaders to Meet May 16 to Assess Sub Construction Delays, Columbia Class Schedule, Secretary Tells House Panel
U.S. Navy leaders will meet with industry officials in May to examine how they can improve the increasingly challenged submarine production program and try adding more space in the tight schedule to build the first of the Columbia-class ballistic missile…
Australia to Purchase Second Triton UAV
CANBERRA, Australia —The Australian government has agreed to purchase a second MQ-4C Triton, Northrop Grumman Corp., manufacturer of the aircraft, said in a release. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper identified the requirement for seven high-altitude, long-endurance Triton unmanned aircraft. Northrop…
CNO Warns Forum of Challenges of ‘Great Power Competition’
With the return of the “Great Power Competition,” the U.S. Navy’s top officer on April 29 emphasized the need to strengthen ties with allies and partner nations and to condition commanders to avoid turning at-sea incidents into major battles while…
USS America, USS New Orleans to Forward Deploy to Japan; USS Stethem, USS Wasp to Return to U.S.
SASEBO, Japan — The Navy announced that the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and landing platform dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) will become part of the U.S. 7th Fleet forward-deployed forces in Sasebo, Japan, the commander, Naval…
L3 Technologies Awarded Contract for Battle Force Tactical Training
NORFOLK, Virginia — L3 Integrated Maritime Systems has been awarded a $76 million contract to support U.S. Navy shipboard integrated training systems and provide instruction, engineering, systems integration and life-cycle support for the Battle Force Tactical Trainer (BFTT) family of…
U.S. Navy Supports Japanese-Led F-35A Search and Recovery Operations
OKINAWA, Japan — A U.S. Navy salvage team embarked a contracted vessel and departed Okinawa on April 24 to aid Japanese-led search-and-recovery operations for a downed Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A Lightning II jet fighter, the U.S. 7th…
Navy to Christen High-Speed Transport Vessel Guam
WASHINGTON — The Navy will christen its newest high-speed transport vessel, the future USNS Guam (T-HST 1), during a 10 a.m. Japan Standard Time ceremony Saturday, April 27, in Okinawa, Japan, the Navy’s Office of Information said in a release….


