Sea-Air-Space 2024: All the cutting-edge tech at Navy’s largest show
Colin Demarest
·2 min read
Sea-Air-Space attendees step out of the naval conference in National Harbor, Maryland, to observe the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
A model of a vessel, draped in blue-and-grey camouflage, is seen suspended at the Fincantieri booth at Sea-Air-Space on April 10, 2024. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro waves at the lunchtime crowd gathered for his 2024 Sea-Air-Space speech in Maryland. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Shield AI's V-Bat drone stands upright at the company's 2024 Sea-Air-Space booth. A screen nearby advertises its swarming capability. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Rear Adm. Doug Small, the U.S. Navy’s Project Overmatch boss, pauses before answering a question about unmanned technologies at the 2024 Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
A model of Northrop Grumman's Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar stands at the company's booth at the 2024 Sea-Air-Space defense conference. The G/ATOR setup is used by Marines. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Rear Adm. Ron Piret, the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command boss, speaks at the Information Warfare Pavilion at the Sea-Air-Space defense conference in April 2024. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
A man points toward a Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munition, made by AeroVironment. The U.S. has sent Switchblade drones to Ukraine. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Lance Cpl. Chesty XVI, the Marine Corps’ official mascot, makes an appearance April 9, 2024, at the Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
A Lego model of the USS John F. Kennedy is displayed at the 2024 Sea-Air-Space defense conference. It was a crowd favorite. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, a Virginia Republican, listens to Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican and fellow member of the House Armed Services Committee, during a 2024 Sea-Air-Space discussion. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Models of Saildrone unmanned surface vessels are seen at the company's booth April 8, 2024. Saildrone is collaborating with Thales Australia on anti-submarine warfare technologies. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti scans the Sea-Air-Space crowd April 8, 2024. Franchetti succeeded Adm. Michael Gilday. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Parts made by additive manufacturing are displayed at a U.S. Navy booth at the Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland on April 9, 2024. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Christopher Mahoney takes his seat April 8, 2024, at the Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland. (Colin Demarest/C4ISRNET)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — This week, U.S. Navy leadership and some of the world’s largest defense contractors flocked to the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center south of the nation’s capital for the 2024 Sea-Air-Space defense conference.
Hosted by the Navy League, it’s the service’s largest annual trade show. Reporters with C4ISRNET, Defense News, and Military Times were on the ground, reporting on the latest remarks and industry insights.
From an eclipse that yanked attendees to the waterfront to a surprise appearance by Lance Cpl. Chesty XVI, here’s what you may have missed:
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