U.S. Navy Awards $23.13 Million Contract To Strengthen Warship Cybersecurity

The US Navy has awarded a $23.13 million contract to develop ways to protect warship electrical systems from cyberattacks. The aim is to keep important onboard equipment running even if hackers try to interfere with the systems.

South Carolina-based Integer Technologies will lead the research with Florida State University and its Center for Advanced Power Systems. The work is part of the Threat Resilient Integrated Defense for Enhanced Naval Technologies (TRIDENT) programme.

The Department of War announced the $23,133,600 contract on October 28. The research will focus on zero-trust security, an approach that checks who or what is trying to access a network instead of automatically trusting connected users and devices.

Warship electrical systems supply power to machinery, sensors, control systems and other equipment. On ships with integrated power systems, they can also supply electricity to advanced weapons and high-power sensors.

A cyberattack on these networks could affect how crews monitor or control equipment. It could also make it harder to identify problems and respond to electrical faults.

Protecting these systems is not as simple as securing a normal computer network. Their digital controls are directly connected to physical equipment, so security measures must not slow down the systems that distribute electricity.

The TRIDENT programme will study how ships can detect cyber threats, monitor their electrical systems and change their security settings when needed, while keeping the power supply running during an attack.

Zero-trust security does not assume that a user, device or software is safe just because it is already connected to an authorised network.

Every access request must be checked. Access is limited according to security rules, and the network is monitored for unusual activity. Connected systems can also be separated so that a problem in one part does not easily spread to others.

Using this approach on warships brings its own challenges. The Navy needs security measures that do not slow down electrical systems or interfere with their normal operation.

The research will look at how to protect both older and newer equipment. Some older systems may not have modern security features or support newer ways of checking access without major changes.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has identified secure controls and reliable power distribution as important requirements for future naval systems.

In April 2026, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other federal agencies issued guidance on using zero-trust security in operational technology. The guidance explains that security measures must also protect the safety and reliability of equipment that controls physical processes.

Integer Technologies and its research partners will study how these measures can work with shipboard electrical networks.

The contract includes a 36-month base period and a 36-month option period. The option period will begin 12 months after the contract is signed and will run at the same time as the base period.

The Navy has committed $10,133,600 in fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation funds to cover the base period.

The work will take place in Columbia, South Carolina, and is expected to finish in October 2030.

The Office of Naval Research awarded the contract through its long-range broad agency announcement for Navy and Marine Corps science and technology. The office, based in Arlington, Virginia, is responsible for the contract, which carries the number N0001427C1303.

The research is part of the Navy’s wider work to protect systems that use a mix of older equipment, software and connected controls from cyber threats.

The contract announcement does not name any warship classes that will receive the technology. It also does not say that a working system has been developed or installed on a ship.

The research will examine how zero-trust security can protect naval electrical systems while allowing them to continue operating as required.