{"id":3536,"date":"2025-01-18T19:01:34","date_gmt":"2025-01-18T19:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=3536"},"modified":"2025-01-18T19:01:34","modified_gmt":"2025-01-18T19:01:34","slug":"u-s-navy-equips-littoral-combat-ships-with-counter-drone-hellfire-missiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=3536","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Navy Equips Littoral Combat Ships With Counter-Drone Hellfire Missiles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    U.S. Navy Equips Littoral Combat Ships With Counter-Drone Hellfire Missiles<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-300x157.png?resize=300%2C157&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"U.S. Navy Equips Littoral Combat Ships With Counter-Drone Hellfire Missiles\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;margin-right:10px;width:150px; height:150px;float:left;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-150x79.png 150w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1862467\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1862467\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1862467\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship.png?resize=1200%2C628&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"US Navy Ship\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Navy-Ship-150x79.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1862467\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screengrab from YouTube video posted by NAVSEApa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The U.S. Navy has upgraded the USS Indianapolis, a Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), with counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>This allows the ship to shoot down drones using radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles effectively. The upgrades were made during the ship\u2019s deployment in Fall 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The enhancements involved software and hardware modifications to the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM), a key part of the LCS Surface Warfare Mission Package.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, designed for targeting small boats, the SSMM now extends its capabilities to deal with surface, land and aerial threats.<\/p>\n<p>The upgrade was made citing recent incidents in the Red Sea region where drones posed major risks to American warships.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ePvj1fUnyIE?si=P18VlGsbucLqt1j1\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nVideo Credits: NAVSEApa\/YouTube<\/p>\n<p>The program manager Captain Matthew Lehmann said that the collaboration with the Integrated Warfare Systems team enabled the Navy to meet the fleet\u2019s needs without delay.<\/p>\n<p>Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned and Small Combatants, says that these advancements strengthen the Navy\u2019s operational agility and deterrence in contested environments.<\/p>\n<p>The USS Indianapolis is the first Freedom-class LCS to receive these upgrades. It operated in various regions, including the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, and the Middle East, between March and November 2024.<\/p>\n<p>It is also the first LCS to be awarded the Combat Action Ribbon.<\/p>\n<p>Captain Mark Haney, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2, revealed that the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is next in line for similar upgrades.<\/p>\n<p>This vessel will deploy later in 2025 with an enhanced package that includes new unmanned aerial vehicles and more weapons systems.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1862468\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1862468\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1862468\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile.png?resize=1200%2C628&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Missile\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Missile-150x79.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1862468\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credits: U.S. Navy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The SSMM can hold up to 24 Longbow Hellfire missiles, which use radar guidance for precise targeting. When launched from the ship, the missile\u2019s radar locks onto its target and autonomously destroys it.<\/p>\n<p>This system offers a cost-effective alternative to the Navy\u2019s RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), which are primarily used for close-in defence.<\/p>\n<p>While the RAM costs around $950,00 per missile, a Longbow Hellfire costs between $150,000 and $215,000 making it a more economical option for countering drones and other threats.<\/p>\n<p>The Navy is also exploring the use of the AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) as a successor to the Hellfire.<\/p>\n<p>Experts believe these advancements will provide a protective shield for nearby vessels.<\/p>\n<p>Drone threats have become a major concern for naval forces worldwide. The Houthis in Yemen, have used explosive-laden drones and boats to target ships.<\/p>\n<p><em>References: U.S. Navy, The War Zone<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    MI News Network<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/shipping-news\/u-s-navy-equips-littoral-combat-ships-with-counter-drone-hellfire-missiles\/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=u-s-navy-equips-littoral-combat-ships-with-counter-drone-hellfire-missiles\">Go to marine insight<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. Navy Equips Littoral Combat Ships With Counter-Drone Hellfire Missiles Screengrab from YouTube video posted by NAVSEApa The U.S. Navy has upgraded the USS Indianapolis, a Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), with counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities. This allows the ship to shoot down drones using radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles effectively. The upgrades were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,196],"tags":[197],"class_list":["post-3536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marine-insight","category-shipping-news","tag-marine-insight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}