U.S. Navy Destroyer Tests Gun-Based Hypervelocity Projectiles in Support of Counter-UAS Development
In a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, it was revealed that the USS Jason Dunham and USS The Sullivans tested four advanced weapons systems as part of a broader U.S. Navy initiative to rapidly field cost-effective counter-drone technologies. Jason Dunham tested BAE Systems’ Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP), while The Sullivans trialed Lockheed Martin’s Longbow Hellfire, Anduril’s Roadrunner drone, and Raytheon’s Coyote system. Three of these systems are confirmed to be in or nearing operational deployment, with the Longbow Hellfire already integrated into Littoral Combat Ships like USS Indianapolis. Although not explicitly confirmed aboard The Sullivans, Roadrunner and Coyote systems are set to deploy with the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. Meanwhile, BAE’s HVP has been quietly progressing, with tests confirming its effectiveness against aerial threats, though its operational deployment remains unconfirmed.