Abby Shepherd

Abby Shepherd is a Navy reporter. Before joining Inside Defense in November 2023, she was an intern with Politico's E&E News and a city government reporter with the Eudora Times in Kansas. She graduated from the University of Kansas in May 2023, with degrees in journalism and political science.

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Archived Articles
The Insider | February 11, 2025

The Marine Corps is conducting research to fulfill the second block of its navigation program, which aims to modernize positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and global positioning system (GPS) capabilities, according to a request for information issued today.

Daily News | February 6, 2025

Shipbuilder HII will focus on developing outsource partners for labor and production in the next year rather than acquiring more shipyards.

The Insider | February 5, 2025

The Navy has awarded various contracts relating to the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship’s mine countermeasures mission package, all preceding an anticipated rollout of the package on the LCS later this fiscal year.

Daily News | February 5, 2025

As hypersonic missile threats become more sophisticated, the importance of adequate testing grows, yet the Navy finds itself in a capability gap, according to the Pentagon chief weapons tester's annual report released last week.

Daily News | February 5, 2025

The Navy plans to submit testing plans for milestones B and C for the MQ-25 Stingray program this spring, following years of production delays and budget reprogrammings.

The Insider | February 4, 2025

Reliability issues with the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band noted in last year's annual report by the Pentagon's chief weapons tester have continued to plague the system, according to a new report released last week.

The Insider | February 3, 2025

The Navy declared initial operational capability for the F/A-18 E/F Infrared Search and Track Block II system in November 2024, according to a Navy spokesperson -- a milestone that follows reliability problems found during operational testing.

The Insider | January 31, 2025

The Navy is seeking information from contractors interested in contributing to the service's remote minehunting module program, following an industry day last summer.

Daily News | January 30, 2025

SAN DIEGO -- The Navy needs industry to innovate faster, in ways that will allow the service to respond to rapidly evolving threats like those demonstrated in the Red Sea over the past year, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command said today.

The Insider | January 29, 2025

SAN DIEGO -- A new Navy instruction for Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) is expected to be released this spring, a Navy official said today.

Daily News | January 29, 2025

SAN DIEGO -- Following an eventful year for carrier aviation -- particularly in the Red Sea -- top Navy officials today pushed back against recent criticism that carriers may not be prepared for the future fight, or survivable against modern warfare.

Daily News | January 28, 2025

SAN DIEGO -- The expansion of manned-unmanned teaming, investment in the submarine industrial base and completion of on-time maintenance availabilities are all actions needed to meet the Chief of Naval Operations' goal of an 80% combat surge-ready force, naval officials said today.

The Insider | January 28, 2025

Shipbuilder HII's acquisition of the metal fabrication facilities and equipment of a South Carolina-based company has now closed, HII announced yesterday.

Daily News | January 17, 2025

Rollout of the mine countermeasures mission package on the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship remains on track for later this fiscal year, a Navy official confirmed this week.

The Insider | January 16, 2025

The Navy has employed a new planning strategy to reduce time spent on ship maintenance availabilities across the fleet, a service official said Thursday.

Daily News | January 16, 2025

Countering unmanned aircraft systems is part of a "layered defense," and something that could prove useful in operations like those in the Red Sea, a Navy official said Thursday.

The Insider | January 16, 2025

The Navy intends to use multiyear contracts for future Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, as was done in past negotiations with the most recent contract in 2023, which awarded three Flight III destroyers to General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works and six to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding.

The Insider | January 15, 2025

After lessons learned within GPS-denied spaces, the Navy's task group on unmanned operations -- formed last January out of Central Command's Task Force 59 -- plans to launch an unmanned surface vessel with GPS-denied capability.

Daily News | January 15, 2025

As China and Russia strengthen their naval relationship and increase joint patrols, training and port visits in the Pacific, the existing model for force generation -- the Optimized Fleet Response Plan -- is no longer optimal amid the existential threat posed by these two countries, U.S. Fleet Forces Commander Adm. Daryl Caudle said Wednesday.

Daily News | January 15, 2025

The Navy should streamline its uncrewed surface vessels, Surface Warfare Director Rear Adm. Bill Daly said Tuesday at the Surface Navy Association's conference, adding that the hybrid fleet does not necessarily need platforms that are large, exquisite or unproved.

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