The U.S. Navy’s Billion-Dollar Mystery ‘Kamikaze Drones’
So what educated guesses can we make about the Navy’s billion-dollar kamikaze drone or loitering munition, a project so urgent that Raytheon is uniquely suited to carry it out?
ByDavid HamblingPublished23 hours ago
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command, known as NAVSEA, is about to place the biggest order on record for loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones. The order will total well over $1 billion dollars. What this money will buy has not been revealed, as the Navy declines to discuss the project. However, budget documents reveal a surprising level of detail.
NAVSEA is responsible for engineering, building, buying, and maintaining the Navy’s fleet of ships and its combat systems. It is not responsible for the Navy’s aircraft, which fall under the Naval Air Systems Command. It seems drones that only go one way count as missiles.
The contract to develop and produce a loitering munition was first mentioned in a solicitation notice issued last November. The notice states that unlike most government contracts, this one will not go to competitive tender. There is only one supplier who can meet the Navy’s requirements: Raytheon Company. (Raytheon declined an invitation to discuss the deal and referred us to NAVSEA.)
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/05/the-u-s-navys-billion-dollar-mystery-kamikaze-drones/
