LCAC 100, Textron’s first-in-class Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC), conducts its first on-water test outside of the company’s facility in Louisiana on April 10, 2018. Textron photo.
Before the Navy requests more money for Textron’s Ship-to-Shore Connector, company executives say they need to firm up contracts for the funds already earmarked for the program.
LCAC 100, Textron’s first-in-class Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC), conducts its first on-water test outside of the company’s facility in Louisiana on April 10, 2018. Textron photo.
Textron Marine and Land Systems last week began at-sea testing of its first Ship-to-Shore Connector and was also awarded a contract modification to begin procuring long-lead materials for Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018 craft. Read More
Launching of Virginia-class submarine Indiana. HII Photo
Large military contractors are indicating they’re now ready to invest in their facilities and manufacturing capacity despite so much uncertainty around the Pentagon’s spending levels this current year and into Fiscal Year 2019. Read More
Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle. Textron photo.
The Navy is working on adding a number of anti-surface weapons to an unmanned surface vehicle that so far has been used as a passive platform for mine countermeasures. Read More
Textron’s Aerosonde unmanned aerial vehicle. Textron photo.
The Navy added a second provider of contractor-owned and operated small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for its sea-based missions, signing an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with Textron for use of the company’s Aerosonde unmanned system. Read More
Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle testing. Textron Systems photo.
Changes in the Navy’s unmanned mine hunting plans may help Textron Systems maintain a hot production line for its Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) ahead of next year’s expected move into low-rate initial production for the unmanned craft in its original mine sweeping role. Read More
Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle. Textron photo.
Textron Systems Unmanned Systems not only built flexibility into its Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) hull design but also into its acquisition program, enabling the company to potentially sell some craft to the Navy for the newly assigned mine hunting mission before signing off on a contract for the original mine sweeping mission, a company official said. Read More
Lockheed Martin’s Remote Multi Mission Vehicle in 2010. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include a complete account from the Navy regarding its plans for the RMMV and LCS mine countermeasures mission package, and a comment from Lockheed Martin on its RMMV.
The Navy will halt procurement of the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle included in the Littoral Combat Ship’s mine countermeasures (MCM) mission package and will instead compete several unmanned vehicles over the next three fiscal years, officials decided this week. Read More
Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle. Textron photo.
Textron’s Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) program has moved into the production phase and will begin delivering its minesweeping capability to the fleet by early next year, even as the program is also situating itself to enter the minehunting, patrolling and other surface warfare mission areas. Read More
Textron Marine and Land Systems’ Louisiana production facility features automated welding and other innovations that will speed up Ship to Shore Production compared to the legacy LCACs. Textron photo.
The Navy’s next generation of surface connectors will be more reliable and less costly to operate after the Navy designed out the top 25 maintenance drivers from the legacy craft, according to surface connector manufacturer Textron Marine and Land Systems. Read More
