U.S. Navy adds $150 million to Shield AI X-BAT programme, bringing total investment to $400 million
The U.S. Navy executed a $150 million modification to its Other Transaction agreement with Shield AI for the X-BAT AI-piloted VTOL fighter aircraft, bringing combined government and company investment to $400 million. Funding comes from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. Shield AI and the Navy are targeting an operational capability timeline that Breaking Defense describes as 'extremely ambitious.'
Why it matters: A combined $400 million for a single strike-fighter UAS before first flight signals that the Navy is betting heavily on carrier-launched autonomy as a near-term capability, not a technology demonstration.
U.S. Navy accepts first C-130J-30 for conversion into E-130J Phoenix II nuclear command aircraft
Lockheed Martin delivered the first C-130J-30 Super Hercules to the U.S. Navy for conversion into the E-130J Phoenix II, which will assume the Take Charge And Move Out airborne nuclear communications mission from the aging E-6B Mercury fleet. The turboprop platform replaces the jet-powered E-6, a Boeing 707 derivative. The Navy plans a fleet of E-130Js to maintain constant radio contact with ballistic missile submarines.
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U.S. Navy flies and lands drone on pitching ship without GPS or pilot using onboard vision
The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division flew a drone through mission tasks and landed it autonomously on a moving ship at sea with GPS jammed, using only the aircraft's cameras, motion sensors and software. No value, platform type or timeline details were provided beyond the October 15 announcement.
U.S. Navy awards HII $56 million for AUKUS submarine design and engineering support
The U.S. Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding a $56.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical support on nuclear-powered submarines for AUKUS partners Australia and the United Kingdom. Foreign partner funds cover the full cost.
Huntington Ingalls IndustriesU.S. NavyUnited StatesAustraliaUnited Kingdom Defence Blog →Naval Technology →
F-35C completes first arrested landing aboard Ford-class carrier USS John F. Kennedy
An F-35C Lightning II conducted the first arrested landing on the pre-commissioning USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), marking the first time the carrier variant has operated from a Ford-class aircraft carrier. The milestone follows years of technical challenges integrating the F-35C with Ford-class systems. The Navy released photos of the landing and subsequent takeoff trials in the Atlantic.
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