WASHINGTON -- Anduril is teaming up with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to design and manufacture a new class of dual-use Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV). The goal is to have infrastructure in place to compete for the Navy’s Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program, which intends to deliver a distributed, autonomous, hybrid fleet, built to operate and survive in contested waters. The Navy requested, and is still evaluating, pitches from industry earlier this year for three prototypes: a standard MASC, one with high capacity, and one for a single payload.

According to Anduril’s press release, the platform is being developed to demonstrate how an affordable, software-defined surface vessel can extend naval reach and support the Navy’s evolving concepts for distributed maritime operations. The partnership with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also sets Anduril up to supply other countries with autonomous ships as global defense spending increases.

The first prototype, a dual-use ASV, will be built in Korea, but future vessels, including the MASC variant, will be made in the U.S. at the former Foss Shipyard in Seattle, Washington. This facility will serve as Anduril’s initial U.S. hub for low-rate vessel assembly, integration, and testing of ASVs for the MASC program.

Shipbuilding is a historically challenging arena that newcomers such as Eureka Naval Craft, Havoc AI, Saronic, and Blue Water Autonomy are trying to navigate with shipyard partnerships and plans to build their own.

Source: Defense One
Associated URL: https://www.defenseone.com/business/2025/11/anduril-build-autonomous-vessel-prototype-korea/409494/?oref=d1-topic-lander-top-story

PARIS - Talks between France and Germany over the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) could lead to a dramatic shift in the program’s direction, the Financial Times reported on Monday, which could include dropping plans to build a fighter jet.

FCAS is intended to deliver a new, sixth-generation combat aircraft to the French and German Air Forces, to operate alongside a teamed unmanned system. Dassault and Airbus have led development on the aircraft, which has been expected to be ready for production by the late 2030s or early 2040s.

Workshare disputes between the industrial partners have threatened the project’s progress, however. Over the summer months, various media outlets reported that Dassault and Airbus had encountered significant disagreements over the assignment of work, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to meet to discuss saving the fighter jet program.

Instead, the FT reported, the FCAS partners may narrow the program to focusing exclusively on only one pillar of the program, the creation of a joint combat cloud network. Airbus, Thales, and Indra were expected to collaborate on that pillar of FCAS.

Sources stressed to the FT that no final decision has been made as of yet. One of the sources said, "All the other elements [of FCAS] are working well. Why would we stop doing that? There is no need for FCAS to founder completely -- there is a need for a combat cloud system."

Source: FT
Associated URL: https://www.ft.com/content/e0cc4893-d1c3-45a4-9e3e-d35cedd4b46d

CANBERRA, Au. -- L3Harris launched a next-generation software device called NETCASTER (the NETwork Control and Service Translation Enhanced Router).

The Australian capability is designed to increase tactical network optimization and performance of traditional routers through open-standards architectures.

NETCASTER is a sovereign, non-ITAR application developed in the L3Harris facility in Brisbane, Queensland. The router technology is designed to maximise in-theatre resiliency for deployable joint-domain communications and is Australian Land Data Model-compliant.

The launch follows the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Electronic Warfare in Brisbane in 2024.

Source: L3Harris
Associated URL: https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2025/11/l3harris-unveils-sovereign-software-router-australia
Source Language: Danish