U.S. Navy Destroyer Equipped With New Launcher For Unknown Weapons
Summary
A previously unidentified launcher has been discovered on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), spotted in a U.S. Marine Corps photo taken at Pearl Harbor in late March 2025 and first identified by a Japanese OSINT blog. The launcher is positioned at the aft end of the ship's superstructure, in the same general area where Coyote counter-drone interceptor launchers were previously installed on two other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Several possible weapon systems have been identified as candidates for the launcher, including Zone 5 Technologies' White Spike counter-drone interceptor, Anduril's Roadrunner-M, Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), or potentially a drone/decoy deployment system. The launcher's appearance aligns with the Navy's growing urgency to bolster shipboard counter-drone defenses, a need that was significantly amplified by operational experiences in the Red Sea and ongoing tensions with Iran. The Navy has not yet confirmed what the launcher is designed to fire, whether it will be fielded more broadly across the fleet, or provided any official comment on the matter.
Key Takeaways
- 1. A new, unidentified launcher has been installed on USS Carl M. Levin, marking a potentially significant but secretive upgrade to the destroyer's defensive capabilities
- 2. The launcher's most likely purpose is counter-drone defense, with Zone 5 Technologies' White Spike interceptor considered a leading candidate based on visual similarities
- 3. The U.S. Navy has been actively pursuing lower-cost anti-drone solutions for its warships, driven largely by combat experiences during Red Sea operations and escalating unmanned aerial threats
- 4. Other possible functions for the launcher include deploying Lockheed Martin JAGMs, Anduril Roadrunner-M interceptors, loitering munitions, or drone decoys designed to protect ships from incoming missiles
- 5. The development reflects a broader Pentagon push, led by the Defense Innovation Unit's Counter-NEXT program, to rapidly integrate next-generation counter-UAS systems onto naval vessels