Surface Warfare

USS Coronado (LCS 4) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) completed the first comprehensive Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned rotary wing platform on June 29, 2018. Results from this IOT&E will inform decision-makers on how best to integrate the Navy’s newest unmanned helicopter with littoral combat ships (LCS) and other platforms.

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. unveiled today the Sea Breaker, a 5th generation long-range, autonomous, precision-guided missile system, enabling significant attack performance against a variety of high-value maritime and land targets. Rafael foresees Sea Breaker as a multi-domain weapon system capable of delivering lethal effects as an anti-ship, land-attack, coastal defense, and surface-to-surface cruise missile.

India tested today an air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic attack missile on an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30 MKI aircraft. The missile was not launched on this test, as the flight was designed to test the weapon's aircraft integration.

The US Navy announced the successfully deployment of the laser weapon system (LaWS) aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15) that operated with other naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf. During the operational demonstrations that took place from September to November 2014 LaWS intercepted surface targets and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Israel’s Navy conducted a successful test firing of a new surface-surface missiles launched from a Saar 5 corvette. The new missile is assumed to be part of an indigenous surface-to-surface missile system developed for the Israeli Navy by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

The US Navy is operating high energy laser on the command ship leading the annual mine countermeasure exercise IMCMEX 2014. A revolutionary weapon system, the high power laser is designed to protect the vessel from attacks of Iranian fast boats.