WASHINGTON -- A $150 billion reconciliation bill pitched by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has moved to the House Budget Committee after a 35-21 vote, paving the way for an unprecedented $1.012 trillion topline defense budget. This is the first time the HASC’s reconciliation process has been used to directly add funding to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

A major part of the $150 billion bill includes $1.8 billion for the production of medium unmanned surface vessels (USVs), a major U.S. Navy interest in the past year as it seeks information on unmanned vessels of commercial origin. The DOD has pushed forward on a number of unmanned programs for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, adding autonomous launchers, one-way attack drones, and logistics vessels to both branches in recent years. The bill also allocates $1.55 billion to the production of unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) like Boeing’s Orca XLUUV and Anduril’s Dive-XL and Copperhead UUVs.

The effort to develop and deliver unmanned systems has hastened since the DOD and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) launched Replicator 1 in 2023, a force-wide initiative to deliver several thousand unmanned systems to all branches of the armed forces by August 2025. The second phase, Replicator 2, is addressing the need for counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS). Dozens of programs are active and delivering articles across all branches in support of both initiatives.

Source: Naval News
Associated URL: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/05/house-armed-services-committee-earmarks-3-1-billion-for-unmanned-vessel-production-in-historic-reconciliation-bill/

WASHINGTON -- Navantia and Leonardo have joined forces through a collaboration agreement to market naval solutions in the defense market. The announcement was made during the International Defence Fair FEINDEF held in Madrid in May 2025. Within this framework, the two companies intend to explore new commercial opportunities that will complement the product catalogue of both companies.

According to a Navantia press release, the company aims to meet evolving requirements for both national and international markets with its range of naval unit solutions, including patrol vessels, aircraft carriers, corvettes, and frigates. On the other side of the agreement, Leonardo offers a complete suite of sensors and weapon systems ideally fitting different vessel types and missions. The signing of this agreement symbolises the joint commitment of the two companies to continue cooperating to offer highly competitive and technologically advanced solutions, where response time is a key factor in customer decision-making. In this sense, this agreement aims to generate flexibility and agility between both companies when making commercial and strategic decisions.

As reported in the press release, the Navantia-Leonardo collaboration "dates back several decades, and it included solutions in the F110 Frigates for the Armada, such as the Leonardo OTO 127/64 LW gun systems; the fire control radar integrated in Navantia fire control system and the Automatic Ammunition Handling System (AAHS). Leonardo’s systems are well proven on Navantia’s ships, being installed and operational already on Spanish Frigates and BAM, equipped with OTO 76/62 mm gun systems and the fire control radar."

Source: Naval News
Associated URL: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/05/navantia-and-leonardo-sign-mou-to-jointly-market-naval-solutions/

SAN FRANCISCO -- Defense software company TurbineOne announced a $36 million Series B funding round. The round was led by The General Partnership with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, XYZ Ventures, Stepstone Group, and PROOF VC.

TurbineOne’s software is now deployed across the U.S. Department of Defense for missions ranging from drone warfare and base security to targeting operations. TurbineOne got its start with organizations like the Defense Innovation Unit and AFWERX.

TurbineOne's Frontline Perception System (FPS) runs on everyday military gear, including heads-up displays and autonomous drones, and is designed for combat.

Source: Business Wire
Associated URL: https://businesswire.com/news/home/20250514400385/en/TurbineOne-Raises-%2436M-Series-B-to-Deploy-AI-at-the-Tactical-Edge