HII Marks Oklahoma Submarine Construction Milestone at Newport News Shipbuilding
HII announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has reached a significant construction milestone for Virginia-class submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802).Oklahoma is now “pressure hull complete,” which signifies all of the hull sections have joined to form a single, watertight unit.It is the 29th Virginia-class fast attack submarine, the first of Block V and the 14th to be delivered by NNS.The ship’s sponsor is Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native. Slavonic has long supported both the state of Oklahoma and the Navy. She worked alongside her husband, former
Ukraine Says Underwater Drones Hit Submarine, Russia Denies Damage
Ukraine said on Monday it hit and disabled a Russian missile-carrying submarine docked at a Black Sea naval base using underwater sea drones for the first time, but Moscow denied the strike caused any damage.The attack with Ukrainian-made "Sub Sea Baby" drones hit the submarine in the port of Novorossiysk where Russia has rebased many of its Black Sea naval vessels to put them out of reach of Ukrainian strikes, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.Footage published by the SBU showed a powerful explosion erupting from the water at a pier near where a submarine and other vessels were
AeroVironment to Deliver Mission Specialist Defender ROVs to USGC
AeroVironment, Inc., a provider of underwater robotic systems, announced it has been awarded a $4.8 million United States Coast Guard contract through its wholly owned subsidiary, VideoRay, to deliver Mission Specialist Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of the Service’s Force Design 2028 modernization initiative.The Defender will enhance the Coast Guard’s maritime response capabilities by enabling rapid underwater inspections, pier inspections, hull assessments, subsurface infrastructure surveys, disaster response and search and rescue operations in challenging environments&
Ocean Innovation and Technology Showcase Oceanology International 2026 Opens Registration
can register for entry now via the Oi26 website for the chance to join ocean professionals from key ocean industries who will unite across a wide range of sectors, including offshore renewables, oil & gas, ocean observation, defense, maritime security, marine science, ports, aquaculture and subsea.Next year, Oceanology International (Oi) expands its horizons with the debut of COAST, a new coastal and shallow water exhibition zone and conference track. The added focus will ensure that coastal resilience, infrastructure and engineering will be at the heart of an event which once again promises
JFD Global Awarded Contract to Provide Deep Saturation Diving, Submarine Rescue Capability to Polish Navy
James Fisher (JFD Global), a global provider of specialist marine and defense solutions enabling mission success at sea, has secured a contract with PGZ Stocznia Wojenna. The agreement will see JFD Global integrate a combined, hyperbaric and saturation diving system into the Polish Navy’s new salvage and rescue vessel, Ratownik.Scheduled to be completed in late 2029, Ratownik will become one of the largest ships in the Polish Navy’s fleet, playing a pivotal role in the protection of critical underwater infrastructure (CUI) in the Baltic Sea, and responding to disabled submarines in both
Babcock Marks Keel Laying for HMS Formidable, Makes US Submarine Deal
Babcock has marked two major milestones at its Rosyth shipyard in Scotland as the keel was laid for HMS Formidable, the third ship in the UK’s Type 31 frigate program, and the company announced an expanded partnership with U.S. defense contractor HII to support construction of Virginia-class submarines.The keel laying signals continued progress on the Type 31 program, under which five frigates are due for delivery to the Royal Navy within 10 years of contract signing. The ceremony saw the first modular section of the ship positioned over a coin, following naval tradition intended to bring good
NUWC Division Newport’s AUTEC Range Performs Sensor Accuracy Test of German Ship for NATO FORACS
In October, a German navy ship completed sensor accuracy testing at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) for the first time, marking a milestone for both Germany and NATO’s long-running Fleet Operational Readiness Accuracy Check Sites (FORACS) program.The combat oiler Federal German Ship (FGS) Berlin (A 1411) arrived in the U.S. as part of the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but the visit also supported a critical readiness requirement to verify the ship’s navigation and combat systems
Hybrid Theory: Multi-Domain Unmanned Systems are Blurring Maritime Boundaries
surface, combining the persistence and communication advantages of a USV with the stealth capabilities of a UUV. Now imagine it is powered exclusively by wind and solar energy, and can be organized into distributed, high-endurance, attritable fleets for full-spectrum maritime surveillance.San Diego-based SubSeaSail has spent nearly a decade perfecting just such a vehicle. HORUS is a compact, lightweight, monohull AUSV designed for persistent maritime operations and data collection. A patented, transparent wingsail enables low-signature operations at sea for months without fuel or maintenance, while its
Ensuring Reliable Navigation for Tactical Divers
Diver navigation has long presented a challenge. Ensuring diver safety is crucial, and the consequences of not having reliable navigation and position information are far greater for missions using divers than ROVs or other uncrewed systems. UK-based Blueprint Subsea’s Artemis diver navigation systems are engineered to give operators confidence and control in such situations.Accurate positioning and dead-reckoning navigation capabilities are essential for maintaining situational awareness and keeping divers safe during long-duration underwater missions. Blueprint relies on Nortek’s DVL
Kraken Books Multi-Million Dollar Sonar and Subsea Battery System Orders
Kraken Robotics has secured about $8.6 million (CAD 12 million) in new orders for its synthetic aperture sonar systems and subsea battery technologies from defense and commercial customers, including Teledyne Marine, Terradepth and two NATO navies.The orders cover Kraken’s synthetic aperture sonar (SAS), KATFISH towed SAS spares and SeaPower subsea batteries, the company said.Teledyne Marine has ordered both SAS systems and SeaPower batteries, which will be integrated on its Gavia and SeaRaptor autonomous underwater vehicles for undisclosed end-users.Kraken’s SAS will also support Terradepth
Kongsberg Discovery Welcomes Joint Declaration of Baltic Sea Security for Critical Infrastructure
stability and security in the Baltic Sea region, especially in view of geopolitical tensions and threats from RussiaPromote regional cooperation and contribute to stronger European securityCritical maritime infrastructure covers a wide and complex landscape. Below the surface, this includes subsea oil/gas wellheads and risers, gas pipelines, fibre-optic communications cables, high-voltage power lines and renewables installations. Above the surface, it extends to floating production units, platforms, ports and other coastal facilities. Each element serves a vital function in energy security
NUWC Division Newport Hosts Warfighters Panel, ‘Cup O’ Joe’ to Celebrate Veterans
United by their service as U.S. Navy submariners, four men spanning decades in age came together at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport on Nov. 13. Spearheaded by Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Behm and moderated by Deputy Technical Director Steve O’Grady, the command hosted “Passing the Watch: Submarine Generations” to celebrate veterans before an engaged audience in Chafee Auditorium.Staged as a talk show with O’Grady serving as the host, the warfighters panel included Behm, retired Lt. Ronald Renner, retired Cmdr. David Kelly and active-duty Sailor
December 2025
