I have long felt like the emergence of unmanned surface vessels as warships might lead to weapons and sensors that would also fit nicely on Coast Guard cutters including containerized systems.
TSUNAMI USV fitted with STAKE (Invariant Technologies picture) The launcher is probably only a little longer than the APKWS guided rocket which is 73.8 in (1.87 m) in length so I would estimate this boat is about 24 feet in length. Textron TSUNAMI® USVs range in length from 21 to 38 feet in length.
The need to have a counter to unmanned air and surface systems has been getting a lot of attention lately. Even the Coast Guard has been questioned about this.
The Coast Guard says they are working on it.
So far the counters I have heard the Coast Guard is deploying seem to be primarily intended to interrupt the control link of small commercial drones. Other than machine guns, I haven’t seen any hard kill systems that can deal with larger UASs and USVs including those that might be autonomous.
Potential targets range from consumer drones with a few ounces of explosives to modified personal watercraft or even general aviation aircraft carrying hundreds of pounds.
Using something like a .50 caliber machine gun in a US port is problematic both in terms of accuracy and in the danger of potential collateral damage.
Below are two press releases from Invariant discussing their APKWS based cUAS system, similar to the Vampire system.
From the moment I first saw APKWS, in 2017, I considered it an almost perfect weapon for the Coast Guard because it is cheap enough for wide distribution; it is accurate enough to minimize the likelihood of collateral damage, it has adequate range so that cutters don’t have to be so close improvised armaments can pick off our weapons operators, it is light enough to fit on even the smallest cutters, training requirements appear minimal, and the warhead is large enough to do serious damage to larger targets particularly if multiple hits are made.
Feb 18, 2026
(HUNTSVILLE, Ala.) Invariant Corporation’s Surface-to-Air Kinetic Engagement (STAKE) system has once again demonstrated a significant advancement in autonomous maritime Counter Unmanned Systems (C-UxS) capabilities. Earlier this month, STAKE was integrated onto a Textron Systems’ TSUNAMIR Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) and performed early integration testing at Lake Guntersville.
This milestone marks a significant step forward in the application of APKWS in the maritime domain. The success of the demonstration highlights the STAKE system’s versatility and performance in a highly dynamic, complex environment as well as Invariant’s C-UxS team’s commitment to advancing autonomous weapons development. STAKE, a modular system, can be integrated onto a variety of vehicles with minimal engineering.
STAKE’s maritime payloads consist of two core subsystems: the Hunter, which houses the sensor and laser designation package responsible for acquiring and tracking targets, and the Killer, the precision engagement platform. Together, as previously shown, the Hunter and Killer subsystems operate seamlessly in the maritime setting, confirming the system’s readiness for shipboard C-UxS mission, no matter the size.
“This successful demonstration represents a significant development and reflects Invariant’s position at the forefront of C-UxS innovation as well as kinetic maritime autonomy,” says President Danny Levis. “We are committed to advancing adaptable, high-performance systems that align with the Department of War’s objective to enhance lethality, especially in the maritime domain”.
For more information about Invariant Corporation, visit www.invariant-corp.com.
Aug 26, 2025
With a career spanning in explosives, missile defense, and tactical ground systems, James made the deliberate choice to go deep, not wide. “I wanted to zero in on a single domain and become the expert,” he says. That domain? Counter-Unmanned Systems (C-UxS).
Agility Over Legacy
For James, the most dangerous assumption in modern defense planning is that yesterday’s acquisition timelines still apply. “We used to develop a system over five years and support it for 20. But when the fight changes daily, our tech has to change daily too.”
“We’re not just building a product,” James says. “We’re building a process that evolves with the fight.”
C-UxS as a Forever Fight
What’s Next for STAKE
Baltimore-based BlackSea Technologies publicly unveiled its Comet unmanned surface vessel at the Sea-Air-Space exposition
Defense Blog reports, “Baltimore-based BlackSea Technologies publicly unveiled its Comet unmanned surface vessel at the Sea-Air-Space exposition, displaying the platform armed with missiles for both air defense and surface strike missions.”
What got my attention was the sensor and weapons fit.
(Photo by BlackSea Technologies)
This is all on a 43 foot boat. The radars look to be the same as those fitted to PATFORSWA Webber class WPCs. The weapons on the mount look to be two Hellfire or JAGM and two Air-to-Air missile adapted for Surface-to-Air. We know using an Air-to-Air missile in a Surface-to-Air mode can work because the Ukrainians took down an SU-30, a supersonic fighter plane, using AIM-9 Sidewinders from a 26 foot unmanned surface vessel. Hellfire and JAGM also have a demonstrated low altitude capability against UAS and aircraft. The AIM-9X Block II is officially certified for surface-attack missions. It has demonstrated the ability to strike moving surface targets, such as small boats.
Fletcher Launcher for Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS)–Arnold Defense showcased its new rocket launcher for non-air applications at SOFEX 2018 on an Oshkosh S-ATV. (Jen Judson/Staff)
If you have been reading this blog for a while you know I am a fan of the APKWS, an add-on guidance system for 70mm Hydra rockets. The new issue of the Navy League’s Seapower magazine has a story that illustrates how ubiquitous this weapon system is becoming.
Why do I think it is an ideal weapon for the Coast Guard?
An earlier launch using the JASM Quad Launcher (JQL)
Below is a Lockheed Martin news release. Hellfire, JAGM, and the longer ranged JAGM MR can be fired from this launcher. The launcher has been in the works since 2020.
Lockheed prepare for the first JAGM test fire from a JQL launcher in October 2025. Credit: Lockheed Martin.
Even only one quad launcher would be a huge upgrade in the capabilities of Webber class WPCs. It appears Lockheed has decided they will market the launchers in trainable mounts that allow the canisters to be reloaded with little or no special equipment, either as single quad launchers or as multiple quad launchers mounted together. Our larger cutters might also benefit from adding this capability.
A close-up of the Hellfire/JAGM launchers on the Arleigh Burke model on display at the 2025 Surface Navy Association symposium. Joseph Trevithick
CHINA LAKE, Calif., Jan. 15, 2026 – For the first time, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) conducted a successful 90-degree launch of a Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) from the JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) during a demonstration in China Lake, California.
THE BIG PICTURE
WHY IT MATTERS
EXPERT PERSPECTIVES
For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.
30mm Mk38 Mod4
The Navy has decided to replace the 25mm Mk38 gun mounts on Burke class guided missile destroyers with the 30mm Mk38 Mod4. They have completed their first installation. (Marines are also likely to upgrade to the 30mm.)
We have heard the Polar Security Cutter will get the 30mm Mk38 Mod4 but so far no indication other Coast Guard classes will get the weapon.
I would like to see all Coast Guard Cutters armed with the 30mm because unlike the 25, the 30mm can fire an air burst round that is effective against UAS. In addition the 30mm is also significantly more effective against small craft than the 25mm (“nine times the damage to the hull and five times the damage inside the hull”).
“The MK38 MOD4 Machine Gun System (MGS) is an upgrade to the MK38 MOD3 MGS to address deficiencies in meeting Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) requirements. In addition, the upgrade will also improve performance against surface targets and maintain Anti-Terrorist / Force Protection capabilities. This system will be composed of the MK48 MOD2 Electro-Optical Sight System (EOSS), MK88 MOD4 Gun Mount (GM) and the MK134 MOD0 Console. This contract is to procure the MK88 MOD4 GM and the other components will be procured separately. The system is intended for installation aboard the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels.”
The Mod4 is significantly different from the earlier Mod 2 and 3 in that the earlier units had the electro-optics mounted on the gun mount. In the case of Mod4, the electro-optics are mounted separately.
MK 48 MOD 2 electro-optical sight system (EOSS)
It might be assumed that any future installations will be the new 30mm, but replacing two of the earlier mods on over 70 DDGs with Mod4s will free up a lot of earlier Mod2 and Mod3 gun mounts. I am afraid the Coast Guard will continue to get 25mm gun mounts for their FRCs and OPCs unless we make a strong case for the 30mm.
The VAMPIRE system can fit in almost any pickup or vehicle with a cargo bed. (Courtesy of L3Harris)
Earlier I said I would talk about some of the weapons I thought would be most appropriate for cutters, particularly the Webber class WPCs, that would allow them to respond to range of threats including:
The APKWS is the first and it has proven particularly useful against drones and should be similarly effective against small watercraft and small ships. Its ability to forcibly stop or sink medium or large ships is limited, but I would say the same about the 57mm. Reportedly systems hurriedly shipped to Ukraine have shot down hundreds of drones and now APKWS are being made in very large numbers. For a guided munition, costs are very low, $15K to 20K for the guidance section and a few thousand for the very old tech 70mm Hydra rockets.
I could see the four round launchers mounted where the .50 calibers are mounted forward of the bridge on the O-1 deck, on the Webber class WPCs.
The basic APKWS requires full time laser designation from launch to impact. The system is evolving. An infrared seeker has been developed. This would allow the user to more rapidly shift from one target to the next.
The Launcher and fire control system commonly associated with surface launched APKWS is the L3Harris VAMPIRE. The US Naval Institute assures us that a naval variant is being developed and The War Zone shows us how ubiquitous this system is becoming and how it might develop.
“The German military intends to start the procurement process for a novel “Anti Torpedo Torpedo” in 2026, according to a budget planning document published by Politico Europe on Tuesday.”
I first reported on this system in September 2024. French and Turkish companies are also apparently attempting to develop an anti-torpedo torpedo. Russia has long claimed that their light weight torpedo had hard-kill anti-torpedo capability. In April 2025 we had a report that the Netherlands had decided to purchase anti-torpedo torpedoes. In May 2025 we got an indication that the system the Netherlands was intending to use was the German SeaSpider.
The US counterpart anti-torpedo-torpedo is the Mk58 Very Light Weight Torpedo, also known as the Compact Rapid Attack Weapon or CRAW. In July, Naval News reports its status here. 168 US ships equipped with Nixie are expected to get this system which I believe would include some Coast Guard cutters.
I also hope to see the M58 equip large numbers of cutters as an anti surface weapon that would give cutters to ability to forcibly stop even large ships.
The Mk58, like the SeaSpider might also be usable against Unmanned Undersea Vessels.
“The Project 23550 Ice-class patrol ship “Ivan Papanin”, built for the Russian Navy at “Admiralty Shipyards”, went to sea for factory sea trials. https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/21229221
United 24 Media reports that,
The Russian Navy formally commissioned the Ivan Papanin, a Project 23550 patrol icebreaker…Armament includes a 76.2 mm AK-176MA automatic naval gun, but the most notable feature is its ability to carry containerized missile systems.
There have been several references to these as if they made a significant difference, but actually, so far we have not seen containerized missiles actually mounted. The Russian Navy has many missile launchers in the Arctic and the US Navy (and US Army) has also demonstrated the ability to deploy containerized missile launchers, using one or more Mk70 launchers. Most Russian icebreakers are civilian ships but the Russian Navy has maintained their own icebreakers since at least World War II. This is not a big change. We are just seeing weapons packaged a different way, a way that allows the armament to change rapidly.
Above is a video that I saw on Cdr Salamander’s “Full Bore Friday.” This happened about 43 years ago so there is a good chance you may not know about it. The British lost several ships but still won the war. Ironically if Argentina had waited for a few months some of the critical ships would have been decommissioned, most importantly the two HMS Fearless Landing Platform Docks. Instead they remained in commission until 1999 and 2002.
The HMS Coventry was slightly smaller than a Nation Security Cutter or an Offshore Patrol Cutter. During the fighting the Type 42 had no close in weapon system but they were added shortly after the fighting ended.
It was a failure to add what was needed.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 