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Business Insider
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
The US Navy faced a 'learning curve' choosing the right weapon in the Red Sea fight, Trump's pick for top admiral says
Picking the right weapon to match the threat as the US Navy battled the Houthis in the Red Sea came with a "learning curve" for the service, President Donald Trump's choice for top admiral said Thursday. Top military officials and observers have long expressed concern over the Navy's munitions expenditure and raised questions about the sustainability of firing high-end munitions in high-tempo environments. On Thursday, Adm. Daryl Caudle, Trump's pick to be the next chief of naval operations, told the Senate Committee on Armed Services during his confirmation hearing that the Red Sea fights led to lessons on what weapons and interceptors were best for shooting down specific enemy threats and helped to improve the Aegis Combat System's decision-making. Aegis is the Navy's integrated air defense system, featuring radar, a vertical launch system for various missiles, and a combat management system that uses sensors to identify threats. Built to assist with tracking and engagement, it is currently fitted on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Caudle explained to the committee members that the engagement data from the Red Sea battles led to "the evolution of actually attacking each attack with the right munitions," including "using more air-to-air assets, which are cheaper than an SM-6 or an SM-2, and using electronic warfare to do that when possible." "So the learning curve has been great there," he said. The US Navy has been involved in numerous air defense engagements around the Middle East since October 2023. In the Red Sea and Gulf Aden, US warships have shot down hundreds of missiles and drones fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen toward commercial shipping lanes. Top Navy officials have said American forces have fired significant numbers of munitions costing billions of dollars in these engagements, at times expending multimillion-dollar missiles to destroy cheap Houthi drones that can cost just thousands of dollars each. While the Navy still maintains a robust arsenal, there are concerns about the overreliance on high-end interceptors, such as the SM-6 and SM-2, in high-tempo operations. The SM-2 is a workforce naval air defense missile that costs about $2 million, the SM-6 costs about $4 million and serves as a multi-mission interceptor, and then there's the SM-3 for ballistic missile defense. With the SM-3's ability to engage threats in space, this sophisticated weapon can range in price between $10 million and almost $30 million, depending on the variant. These costly interceptors have seen use in the Navy's defense of Israel against the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles. Some experts and officials have argued that the SM family of interceptor missiles would be critical should the US go to war with China and that it's necessary to stockpile missiles. On the SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, in particular, the acting chief of naval operations, Adm. James Kilby, recently told Business Insider that heavy reliance on these is "unsustainable" in high-tempo fights. There are only so many options for ballistic missiles, but there are alternatives to expensive interceptors for defeating drones and other lower-end threats. During the recent Operation Rough Rider, US forces turned to laser-guided rockets like the AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, which costs roughly $25,000. Navy officials have noted that bringing the cost of what's being fired and the threat it's engaging closer to parity is a priority. Almost half of all drone kills during that operation involved the APKWS. Other options include electronic warfare and, though it's not exactly inexpensive, air-to-air missiles. In pre-answered questions before the Senate hearing, Caudle said that the demand for the Navy's munitions had increased significantly in recent years and that maintaining a strong munitions industrial base was vital for sustainment in a potential conflict. He added that this required stronger relationships with defense industry partners to improve capacity and the supply chain, a major issue that has been noted by other Navy officials as they examine the costs, timelines, and acquisitions of expensive munitions.
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Hits Missile Power Milestone Amid China Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States sank a maritime target using a missile during an exercise in Australia, as China continues its rapid naval buildup and expands its warship presence in the Pacific. The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) was launched from a land-based Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, a type that has been deployed in the Philippines since April 2024. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters The MRC can fire the Tomahawk cruise missile and the SM-6, with ranges of 1,000 and 290 miles, respectively. The latter is also known as "three missiles in one," as it is capable of being used in anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ballistic missile defense. The MRC's deployment in the Philippines—a U.S. treaty ally involved in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea—comes as Beijing asserts its sovereignty in the area by maintaining a persistent presence of naval and coast guard vessels. These often result in standoffs and clashes with rival forces—particularly those of the Philippines. Prior to the MRC's live-fire sinking exercise—the first of its kind outside the continental U.S.—China flexed its naval strength through two high-profile missions in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year: a dual aircraft carrier deployment and the circumnavigation of Australia. What To Know The live-fire event took place at an undisclosed location in Australia's Northern Territory on Wednesday as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025—held across Australia and involving over 35,000 military personnel from 19 Indo-Pacific, North American and European nations. The United States Army Third Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Mid-Range Capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental U.S. in Northern Territory, Australia, on July 16, 2025. The United States Army Third Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Mid-Range Capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental U.S. in Northern Territory, Australia, on July 16, 2025. Sgt. Perla Alfaro/U.S. Army The missile successfully sank its target, the U.S. Army Pacific said, without providing further details. The MRC was deployed by the U.S. Army's Third Multi-Domain Task Force, a unit capable of delivering precision strikes against anti-access and area denial networks—referring to efforts that prevent or restrict an enemy from entering and operating within a contested area. The MRC stationed in the Philippines has been assigned to the First Multi-Domain Task Force. The deployment in Australia demonstrated the Third Multi-Domain Task Force's ability to operate and contribute to regional security and stability, according to the U.S. Army Pacific. The live-fire drill marked what the U.S. Army Pacific described as a "significant milestone" in the development of America's land-based maritime and strategic strike capabilities. U.S. Army Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the Third Multi-Domain Task Force, said it represented another significant step forward in the unit's ability to "deploy, integrate, and command and control" advanced land-based maritime strike capabilities. What People Are Saying The U.S. Army Pacific said on Wednesday: "The demonstration highlights the strength of the Australia-U.S. Alliance and the rapidly advancing capability and capacity of [the Third Multi-Domain Task Force] and the 10th Australian Brigade to deploy advanced, land-based maritime strike capabilities in support of regional security and stability." U.S. Army Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the Third Multi-Domain Task Force, said in a press release on Wednesday: "This exercise validated our targeting and [command and control] interoperability with our partner unit the Australian 10th Brigade through the Land Effects Coordination Cell. We have set the stage to develop and deploy combat-credible, multi-domain capabilities forward in support of the Combined and Joint Force." What Happens Next The live-fire exercise provided "valuable insights and lessons learned" that will inform the development and employment of land-based maritime strike capabilities, according to the U.S. Army Pacific. It remains to be seen whether similar exercises will be held in the future.
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The US Navy's overreliance on top missile interceptors is 'unsustainable' in more intense fights, top admiral warns
US warships fighting around the Middle East have been leaning hard on top ballistic missile interceptors. That won't be sustainable in high-tempo combat operations that can fast consume key munitions, a top Navy admiral cautioned. Adm. James Kilby, the acting chief of naval operations, told Business Insider that cheaper alternatives for air defense are needed to preserve critical munitions stockpiles. The Navy has regularly found itself in air defense engagements around the Middle East since a fresh wave of violence swept across the region in October 2023. In the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, American warships have shot down hundreds of missiles and drones that the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched at merchant shipping lanes. And in the Eastern Mediterranean, US warships have intercepted massive Iranian ballistic missile salvos targeting Israel over three separate exchanges of fire. Kilby said the Navy has fired "significant numbers of advanced munitions" in support of these operations. However, "while the Navy remains fully capable and ready to respond to any contingency today, the pace and volume of these high-end weapon expenditures were neither anticipated by the Navy nor the defense industrial base." "As a result, our inventory of the most capable interceptors is reduced and requires an increased munitions delivery rate," he said. Kilby said the Navy is working with the US Missile Defense Agency, the Maritime Industrial Base Program Office, and its industry partners to expand interceptor production capacity. The efforts, he stressed, will help rebuild and sustain munitions stockpiles. Officials and analysts have said the Navy needs more of its best interceptors for higher-level threats in the Pacific, like China and its expanding ballistic missile arsenal. Some observers have raised concerns that US warships are rapidly expending essential munitions without adequate plans to replace them. A specific concern is the Standard Missile-3, or SM-3, interceptor inventory. These weapons can take out short- to intermediate-range missiles during the midcourse phase of flight. Unlike other ship-launched munitions, the SM-3 can engage threats in space. US warships in the Eastern Mediterranean have used the powerful SM-3s to defend Israel from Iranian missile attacks. These interceptors, produced by Raytheon, Aerojet, and, for newer types, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, are exceptionally effective weapons, but they come at a high price tag, between $10 million and $30 million, depending on the variant. Another Navy ballistic missile interceptor is the roughly $4 million SM-6, suited for defense against aircraft and cruise missiles, as well as terminal defense against ballistic missile threats. "The Navy's current reliance on high-cost interceptors, such as SM-6 and SM-3, is unsustainable in high-tempo operations," Kilby warned. He added that the military "must shift to use lower-cost alternatives while preserving expensive defenses for strategic weapons — or risk running short when it matters most." Navy leadership has pointed to the Red Sea conflict as a clear example of the problem, as US warships have been forced to expend multimillion-dollar missiles to destroy cheap Houthi drones that can cost just thousands of dollars. Alternative options are limited for ballistic missile threats, but there are some better choices for drones that are being used to reduce pressure on interceptor arsenals. As the Red Sea conflict dragged on, US forces increasingly found themselves relying on lower-cost alternatives to preserve the expensive missiles. During the weekslong Operation Rough Rider targeting the Houthis earlier this year, for instance, American fighter jets used cheap laser-guided rockets for around half of all Houthi drone kills. The $25,000 AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rocket is significantly cheaper than a $500,000 air-to-air missile. And these rockets are substantially cheaper than ship-launched SM-2 interceptors — weapons on the lower end of the Navy's missile defense capabilities that cost more than $2 million. The Navy has made it a priority in its current and future operations to bring the cost difference between air defense weapons and the threats they engage much closer to parity, especially as drones become increasingly relevant in naval warfare. Kilby said the Navy is also consistently evaluating and updating its tactics, techniques, and procedures to prepare for future operations. This includes finding ways to speed up the learning process, leading to more efficiency on the water. For instance, Kilby said data from the Navy's advanced Aegis Weapons System — which is equipped on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers — previously took weeks to process after an air defense engagement. But thanks to collaboration between the sea service, industry, and tech community, that timeline has decreased to just 24 hours. "The 24-hour assessment timeline allows our ships and weapons systems operators to improve tactical proficiency and effectiveness while remaining in combat," Kilby said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncertainty Over AN/TPY-6 Guam Missile Defense Radar Emerges
In January, the U.S. military moved to halt work on the new AN/TPY-6 radar, one of seven key elements of the huge new air and missile defense architecture taking shape on Guam, and its current status is now unclear. This underscores other important, but still unanswered questions about the plans to better protect the extremely strategic U.S. island territory in the Western Pacific, including the total personnel required and which services they will come from. In a memo to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on January 7, then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks directed the termination of all further development of AN/TPY-6, according to a report the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a Congressional watchdog, published last week. Hicks left the post President Donald Trump took office later that month, being succeeded first by Robert Salesses (in an acting capacity) and then by Stephen Feinberg. At least as of December 2024, what is currently being called the Guam Defense System (GDS) was expected to eventually consist of seven core components. In addition to the AN/TPY-6, these included: an array of ground-based missile launchers based on the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors to go in those launchers, Mk 99 fire control systems (which includes AN/SPG-62 radar 'illuminators'), a Guam-specific version of the Aegis Ashore command and control system (the Aegis Guam System), and the Guam Command Center (GCC) facility. A single prototype AN/TPY-6, a Lockheed Martin design derived from that company's AN/SPY-7 Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in Alaska. Other components, including smaller radars and shorter-range interceptors, could also be part of the final GDS configuration. However, 'other than system experimentation efforts, further development of the AN/TPY-6 radar shall be terminated,' Hicks' memo said, per GAO's report. 'The MDA shall prioritize remaining Aegis Guam System development funds toward delivering minimum viable Aegis C2 [command and control] and datalink capabilities to enable Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) engagements off remote tracks from AN/TPY-2 and LTAMDS over the JTMC [Joint Track Management Capability] bridge.' The AN/TPY-2 is an existing ground-based air and missile defense radar primarily associated with the U.S. Army's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile defense system, but that can also be used as a stand-alone sensor. The LTAMDS (Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor) is a new radar that the Army is working to field now, primarily as an upgrade for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. 'The Joint Track Management Capability (JTMC) bridge' refers to command and control upgrades intended 'to address the full set of PRC [People's Republic of China] missile threats to Guam and to achieve a Joint Tactical Integrated Fire Control (JTIFC) capability for coordinated battle management, combat identification, and electronic protection,' the GAO report said, also citing Hicks' January memo. Hicks also called on MDA to 'retain the single AN/TPY-6 panel currently on-island, with all associated flight test equipment, and maintain it in its current form as an experimental asset, with potential to develop for operational use within the GDS architecture in the future,' according to GAO. GAO's report does note that 'a DOD official told us these changes in the then-deputy secretary's classified memorandum are not binding on the new administration,' but does not say whether or not Hicks' directive with regard to the AN/TPY-6 was subsequently reversed. No further details about what may have prompted the move to terminate work on the radar are provided, which does not appear to have been previously disclosed. The AN/TPY-6 was used, without any reported issues, during the GDS' first live intercept of a surrogate ballistic missile last December. That test also marked the first time the radar had supported an end-to-end live-fire engagement. TWZ has reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, MDA, and Lockheed Martin for more information about the current status of the AN/TPY-6. Even if the immediate decision to axe the AN/TPY-6 as part of the GDS has been reversed, the fact that the U.S. military had moved to cancel it still raises questions about its future and the broader plans for vastly expanding air and missile defenses on Guam. The overall focus of GAO's recently published report was to highlight serious ongoing uncertainty around personnel and other infrastructure requirements for the new defensive architecture, which is set to make the skies over and around the U.S. island territory some of the most heavily defended airspace on Earth. 'DOD has established organizations to manage the deployment of GDS and designated lead services for sustainment and operations,' GAO's report noted. 'However, DOD lacks a strategy to transfer responsibilities to their lead organizations. As a result, DOD risks schedule delays for the deployment of GDS elements and incomplete plans for organization, training, personnel levels, and facilities, among other things,' according to GAO. 'Moreover, although the Army officially joined JRM [the Joint Region Marianas] in February 2024, the Army has not identified its long-term strategy to advocate for construction priorities and installation support from the other military services. Without a strategy, the Army may continue to face delays in approval of construction projects and risks deploying additional personnel without installation support services in place.' MDA has projected in the past that the 805 personnel will be needed to support GDS by 2027, and that the figure will grow to 1,044 by 2031, but 'senior military officials told us the draft statement is just a benchmark for the military services, because the services still need to validate and fund those requirements,' per GAO. 'Since planning for GDS began in fiscal year 2022, DOD has not fully identified the required number of personnel or completed a deployment schedule for GDS units.' GAO said disputes between the Army and Navy over roles and responsibilities for certain components of the GDS that were resolved late last year had been a factor. The table below shows the lead entities that have been in charge of developing each of the system's seven core components, as well as Army recommendations for managing the operation and sustainment of those elements in 2023, and the final decisions that then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks made in November 2024. All of this has cascading impacts on work to build new infrastructure to support the GDS. The recently published GAO report also highlighted the still seriously limited infrastructure currently available to the Army's Task Force Talon on Guam, which operates and maintains a THAAD battery on the island now, despite those forces having been in place since 2013. As it stands now, GAO says the goal is for the first elements of the GDS to be deployed by Fiscal Year 2027, which aligns with previous statements from U.S. officials, and the complete system is scheduled to be in place by Fiscal Year 2032. Any significant delays to that timeline could have larger ramifications. Since 2021, expanding air and missile defenses on Guam has been a centerpiece of larger U.S. military efforts to reorient itself to preparing for future large-scale conflicts, especially a potential high-end fight with China in the Pacific. Guam is a vital hub for U.S. air and naval operations in the Western Pacific. It is also an important location for staging ground forces for onward movement across the region. In turn, being able to adequately protect key facilities on the island, including Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, especially from a growing array of Chinese ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats, is seen as critical. Various tiers of drones are also a real and still evolving threat. Guam could be a target for other adversaries, as well. Concerns about increasingly longer-range North Korean ballistic missiles prompted Task Force Talon's initial deployment more than a decade ago. The GDS plans also reflect the U.S. military's persistent preference to focus on expanding active air and missile defenses, together with new distributed concepts of operations, over improved passive defenses, such as building new hardened aircraft shelters. Critics, including members of Congress, have been increasingly warning that not investing in additional hardened infrastructure puts American forces at significant risk, particularly if a high-end conflict in the Pacific with China were to break out. U.S. officials have made clear that they do expect to have to fight from places like Guam while under attack in any such scenario. You can read more about this heated debate, which TWZ has been following closely, here. Whatever the fate of AN/TPY-6 radar might be now, the U.S. military still clearly has significant work to do in finalizing its plans for ensuring Guam is as shielded as possible from growing air and missile threats. Contact the author: joe@
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Videos Show US Destroyers Training To Intercept Ballistic Missiles
The United States demonstrated its naval power as a pair of destroyers intercepted ballistic missiles during live-fire drills in Europe, showcasing its combat credibility to potential adversaries. "The two destroyers' successful missile intercepts demonstrated the lethality of U.S. Navy systems and the ability to operate seamlessly with Allied nations to maintain a stable security environment," the Europe-headquartered U.S. Sixth Fleet announced on Thursday. U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers equipped with Aegis weapons systems to provide "integrated air and missile defense," regularly conduct missile tests. As of December 2023, a total of 49 Aegis-equipped ships capable of ballistic missile defense were in service. The missile intercept drills come as President Donald Trump revealed details of the $175 billion Golden Dome initiative, which aims at "forever ending the missile threat to the [U.S.] homeland" by building a multi-layered defense grid that includes space-based interceptors. The drills were part of Exercise At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 25 (ASD/FS 25), which has been taking place in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean since May 3. It features air and missile defense drills against a range of threats. The three-week exercise aims to strengthen NATO interoperability in "a joint, live-fire, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) environment," using the alliance's command and control reporting structures, according to Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. Destroyer USS Thomas Hudner launched a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) at a short-range ballistic missile target on May 15. Five days later, it and its sister ship, USS Bulkeley, intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target and a simulated target using a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor. Targets in both drills were "successfully engaged." According to U.S. major defense contractor Raytheon, the SM-3 is designed to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, while the SM-6 is described as "three missiles in one," capable of conducting anti-air, anti-surface, and ballistic missile defense missions. Depending on its variant, the SM-3 has an estimated range of 434 to 1,550 miles, while the multifunctional SM-6 has a reported range of up to 290 miles, according to specialist outlets Naval News and Breaking Defense. The actual ranges of these missiles remain classified. As of last October, five U.S. Navy anti-ballistic missile destroyers were homeported in Spain, providing "full coverage and protection" for NATO European countries against the threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles. The U.S. Sixth Fleet said: "ASD/FS 25 includes a series of live-fire events against unmanned air and surface systems, subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets, incorporating multiple Allied ships, multi-nation/multi-service ground-based air defenses, and aviation forces working across battlespaces to deliver lethal effects, accomplish exercise objectives, and hone warfighting skills." Captain Michael Dwan, commander of the Task Group 154.64 and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO)'s U.S. Maritime Ballistic Missile Defense Assets Adviser, said: "Exercises like ASD/FS are critical for refining our collective integrated air and missile defense capabilities, ensuring we can respond effectively to any threat from any direction and maintain a credible deterrent posture." The U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that a sixth destroyer based in Spain is scheduled to arrive at its new home port next year. These forward-deployed warships are intended to defend Europe against ballistic missile attacks from countries such as Iran. Related Articles India Ready to Raise US Oil Imports in Boost for TrumpMinuteman III vs Yars: US ICBM Passes Test Days After Russian Launch FlopsChinese Satellites Capture US Bombers and Jets at Island Air BaseNew US-Iran Nuclear Talks as Tensions Rise 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
