US Navy's Historic Submarine Deal Kicks Off New Underwater Arms Race
Today's $76.6B submarine procurement is just the beginning of a new underwater arms race.
Read full briefingOriginal intelligence on procurement, programmes, and industry movements — built on primary OSINT data.
Today's $76.6B submarine procurement is just the beginning of a new underwater arms race.
Read full briefingBillions awarded for Virginia and Columbia classes as China ramps up hypersonic capabilities. Key finding: Today's major contract announcements for Block VI Virginia-class ($38.3B) and Build II Columbia-class ($37.5B) submarines signal an acceleration of the U.S.'s undersea arms race with China.
Multinational maritime operations and China's growing ballistic missile arsenal steal the show as RIMPAC kicks off and Beijing modernizes its nuclear deterrent. Key finding: RIMPAC 2026 signals a new era of multinational maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: The biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) is underway, with an unprecedented number of participants focused on strengthening collective defense and multinational operational coordination. This year's exercise emphasizes submarines and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, highlighting the growing importance of underwater dominance in an era of great power competition.
HII hosts Australian Minister for Defence Industry; munitions shortages spark concern amidst trilateral partnership momentum. Key finding: The visit of Australian Minister Pat Conroy to HII's Charleston operations signals AUKUS collaboration acceleration, with a focus on distributed shipbuilding.
Analysis of Saronic Surges: Maritime Autonomy, Hypersonics, and $9B Valuation activity.
Analysis of Sea Machines Surges: Global Growth & USV Adoption in June activity.
Analysis of KONGSBERG: Missiles & Partnerships Drive Q1 Growth activity.
AI dominates defence procurement with $54 billion in Pentagon investment. Traditional primes integrate AI into platforms while Anduril, Saronic, and Helsing raise record funding.
L3Harris is delivering submarine-launched AUVs through DIU. Turkey unveiled an armed XLUUV with torpedo capability. The U.S. Navy advanced seven MUSV designs to prototype. And the SEALs are testing crewed-uncrewed teaming underwater.
Who's winning the programmes that matter — and why.
Deep briefings on major programmes, cost trajectories, and political risk.
Supply chain shifts, M&A, and what the primes aren't saying publicly.
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