2012 North Korean missile test.
The top U.S. military commander in South Korea suggested that Pyongyang has the technological capacity to build miniaturized nuclear warhead that could fit on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel broadly shared the officer’s concerns. Read More
An artist’s conception of a large unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).
The U.S. Navy’s top uniformed officer said that while he does not expect an autonomous unmanned strike aircraft to emerge in the coming decades, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) might prove to be very useful. Read More
Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-commissioning unit (PCU) John Warner (SSN 785) on Sept. 1, 2014. US Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy is starting early preparation work to design a new nuclear attack submarine to replace the Virginia-class boats (SSN-774) in the 2030s. The new attack boat would become operational in 2044 after the last Block VII Virginias are built. Read More
Virginia-class attack boat North Dakota during recent sea trials. US Navy Photo
This story has been updated from a previous post to amend comments made by Naval Sea Systems commander, Vice Adm. William Hilarides, based on new information provided to USNI News in an interview subsequent to this posting. The revised information can be found in brackets behind the original text.
The head of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) warned that the U.S. Navy will have to
ramp up its cyber-security efforts to secure the controls systems of its submarines.
“It is the threat to our control systems,” Vice Adm. William Hilarides, commander of NAVSEA, told an audience at the Naval Submarine League Symposium in Falls Church, Va. on Wednesday. Read More
USS Miami arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine in 2012. US Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines is experiencing “significant” maintenance delays as a result of ongoing mandatory sequestration cuts to the Navy’s maintenance budget, the head of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) said on Wednesday. Read More
An undated photo of a Soviet era MiG-23 Flogger K via Wikipedia
The Syrian government is claiming its air force has destroyed two out of the three Soviet-built MiG fighters captured by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, the claim, which was posted on the Syrian Arab Army Facebook page, could not be independently verified. Read More
A Japanese F-15J allegedly buzzing a Chinese Tu-154 in June.
Japan intercepted a record number of Russian and Chinese aircraft close to its territorial waters over the past six months. Read More
U.S. Central Command Commander General Lloyd J. Austin III on Oct. 17, 2014. Defense Department Photo
The U.S. Central Command has seen no evidence that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) terrorist group is operating its own warplanes. Read More
An E-2D Hawkeye assigned to the Tiger Tails of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). US Navy Photo
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK — The U.S Navy has declared initial operational capability (IOC) with the Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. The first operational squadron to fly the new airborne early warning aircraft is Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron VAW-125 based at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Read More
SB-1 Defiant. Boeing Photo
The U.S. Army has picked designs from Bell Helicopter and a Sikorsky/Boeing team to continue development of Joint Multi-Role (JMR) high-speed rotorcraft designs. Read More
