The U.S. Navy’s newest Mobile Ship Target has arrived at Port Hueneme, California, where it will be prepared for use in future weapons testing, according to the service.
The vessel, designated MST 2301 and known as MST-2, reached the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division site on 14 January. Navy officials said the ship will now undergo outfitting work ahead of supporting advanced live-fire and sensor evaluation activities. Built by Gunderson Marine, the 260-foot vessel was launched in Portland, Oregon, in July 2025 and completed builder’s sea trials before being delivered to the Navy. It is intended to provide a realistic and reusable surface target for maritime weapons testing.
At Port Hueneme, teams from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division will install systems required for operational use. This includes a government-developed remote-control capability being fitted by the Threat Target Systems Department’s seaborne engineering team, allowing the vessel to be operated without a crew during live-fire events.
Commenting on the programme, Kevin Gross, Director of the Threat Target Systems Department, said: “Once complete, the MST will give us a safe, repeatable way to run some of the toughest weapons tests the fleet depends on.”
Unlike smaller or expendable targets, MST-2 has been designed for repeated long-term use. According to the Navy, planned missions include sensor and tracking trials as well as live-fire testing involving weapons launched from ships and aircraft. The service said the vessel’s size, speed and reconfigurable layout provide flexibility for evaluating future naval capabilities.
MST-2 is intended to replace the earlier Mobile Ship Target, MST 9301, also known as MST-1, which is being removed from government ownership after decades supporting fleet and maritime testing.
Rear Admiral Keith Hash, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, said: “This is about giving Sailors and Marines confidence. When they go into harm’s way, they need to trust their systems completely. The MST lets us prove that trust under the most realistic conditions possible.”
The U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division said MST 2301 is expected to complete outfitting and begin supporting weapons testing operations in early 2026.
This is interesting enough but several NATO countries have deployed small numbers to Greenland (including UK in some reports) … I think that it is odd we’ve not had a piece here on UKDJ. As the youff say, just saying 😉 Maybe not enough info yet?
I don’t know why there hasn’t been an article, as it’s pretty big defence news. I’ve been following it as I find it interesting, so here’s a summary.
On Wed 14 Jan, Denmark, Greenland, and the US held a high-level diplomatic meeting in Washington. The discussions focused on US interest in Greenland and broader security concerns. According to officials, the meeting did not go well, with Denmark and Greenland reaffirming that Greenland is not for sale and emphasising their sovereignty. No agreements were reached, and tensions remained high. However, both sides agreed to establish a working group to continue discussions, with further talks expected on a roughly two- to three-week cycle.
Later that day, European countries began announcing military personnel deployments to Greenland at Denmark’s request. These were small reconnaissance, liaison, and planning teams. The deployments were officially described as part of a training exercise, Operation Arctic Endurance, and not directly linked to the earlier US discussions. However, the timing, coming straight after the meeting, suggests to me that this was not the case.
Over the following days, additional nations joined, and we ended up with the following countries involved: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom (1 officer), the Netherlands, and Finland.
On Fri 17 Jan, President Trump announced tariffs on all eight European countries involved. A 10% tariff will take effect on 1 Feb, rising to 25% on 1 Jun, and will remain in place until Greenland is sold. Trump framed the tariffs as a reaction to the European deployments:
“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown.”
Full tweet:
“We have subsidized Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration. Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back — World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it. They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently. Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that! Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake. On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question. Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America. On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland. The United States has been trying to do this transaction for over 150 years. Many Presidents have tried, and for good reason, but Denmark has always refused. Now, because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars are currently being spent on Security Programs having to do with “The Dome,” including for the possible protection of Canada, and this very brilliant, but highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency, because of angles, metes, and bounds, if this Land is included in it. The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”