Follow the Money
, watchdog-triggered surfacing, and emergency ballast release.Source: Intelatus Global PartnersThe U.S. approach: primes, commercial yards and VCsFour major private shipbuilders act as Navy primes: HII (leads in unmanned systems via ROMULUS USV and REMUS AUV programs under Odyssey autonomy software); General Dynamics (builds AUVs through Bluefin Robotics and develops USV C2 technology); Austal USA (builds Saildrone's Voyager USV); and Fincantieri Marine Group (will build Saildrone's Spectre USV). Boeing, a broader defense prime, builds the Orca XLUUV in California, with HII assisting hull assembly
US Navy, Anduril Unveil $6.6B Shipyard Plan for Submarine Parts Production
contract, payments of up to $2.9 billion will be tied directly to demonstrated production outcomes, while Anduril will provide the $3.7 billion private investment.Arsenal-2 will manufacture complex components and large-scale assemblies for Virginia-class attack submarines before delivering them to General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding for final assembly.The additional manufacturing source is intended to allow more submarine construction to take place in parallel and expand overall production capacity.The planned facility will cover more than 2
Hybrid Navy Extravaganza
awarded to Metron by the Defense Innovation Unit as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform initiative. The vehicle is designed for long endurance missions, with the ability to carry and deploy payloads at range. The company is collaborating with Schilling Robotics, Integer Technologies and General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences to deliver the solution.Innovation continues. Poseidon’s Forge has launched its DarkWake AUV, a flexible, mission-configurable platform. Engineered with a flooded architecture to reduce mechanical complexity, the platform is the first AUV to offer the option of
Unmanned Vessels Proliferate in today's "Hybrid Navy Extravaganza"
awarded to Metron by the Defense Innovation Unit as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform initiative. The vehicle is designed for long endurance missions, with the ability to carry and deploy payloads at range. The company is collaborating with Schilling Robotics, Integer Technologies and General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences to deliver the solution.Innovation continues. Poseidon’s Forge has launched its DarkWake™ AUV, a flexible, mission-configurable platform. Engineered with a flooded architecture to reduce mechanical complexity, the platform is the first AUV to offer the option
COVE, The Launch Support National Autonomous Maritime Defense Field Trials
between COVE and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to support maritime testing and validation of innovative technologies with industry partners. This CATS-M trial integrated solutions from several COVE ecosystem partners, including Open Ocean Robotics, JASCO Applied Sciences, and General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada.The CATS-M trial series is a critical step in advancing Canadian capabilities in autonomous maritime surveillance.The trial was held at The Launch, a remote test center in Holyrood, NL, operated by Marine Institute. COVE and The Launch recently signed a Memorandum of Understand
General Dynamics Mission Systems Continues Support of Trident II Strategic Weapon System with New Contract
General Dynamics Mission Systems announced that it was awarded a cost plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee follow-on contract with an initial order value of $255 million as the prime integrator for the Trident II Fire Control System (FCS). Under the fiscal year 2026 FCS omnibus contract, General Dynamics will continue to provide full life cycle and operational support for all deployed Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) FCSs, as well as continue the development, production and installation for all new Columbia-class SSBN FCSs through 2032. The contract, awarded in January, includes
HII Delivers Virginia-Class Submarine Massachusetts to US Navy
HII announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has delivered Virginia-class fast-attack submarine Massachusetts (SSN 798) to the U.S. Navy.Massachusetts is the 12th Virginia-class submarine delivered by NNS, and the 25th built as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat. It is the fifth Navy vessel named for the commonwealth of Massachusetts.More than 10,000 shipbuilders from NNS and Electric Boat participated in the construction of Massachusetts, alongside thousands of suppliers across the country, including more than 20 in Massachusetts that support
General Dynamics Electric Boat Awarded $1.85 billion Contract Modification For Submarine Production
Electric Boat, a business unit of General Dynamics, announced that it was awarded a $1.85 billion contract modification to a previously awarded contract supporting submarine production. This modification is for long lead time material and preliminary construction efforts for submarine production, as detailed in the June 26 U.S. Department of Defense contract award announcement.“This contract modification allows for the acquisition of critical material and components for Virginia-class submarines that require substantial lead time to manufacture and deliver. It sends a continued
Lander Lab: Selection Criteria for Underwater Cable and Connectors
(Eaton) https://usa.souriau.com/en-en/products/connectors/underwater-connectors TE/SEACON (Google “TE SEACON”)Teledyne Impulse https://www.teledynemarine.com/brands/impulse WeTechnologies https://wetechnologies.com/ AcknowledgementsI learned a lot from Ray Hayworth, General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, who shared his experience broadly, spoke at MTS cable and connector conferences, and published design guidelines for use at Electric Boat. R. Frank Busby’s Manned Submersibles text is still a classic and available as a free download (https://archive.org/details/mannedsub
August 2026
