Navy fits USS Ohio with DRAKE jammer to spot and disrupt drones when the sub surfaces

What happened

Navy officials have confirmed DRAKE deployments on guided-missile submarines, the report said. Navy is putting Northrop Grumman’s DRAKE counter-drone electronic warfare system aboard Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, including USS Ohio, giving the vessels a way to detect and disrupt small drones when they are not hiding underwater.

DRAKE, short for Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare, tracks small unmanned aircraft and can jam the radio links connecting them to their operators, Army Recognition reported, citing information Janes published ahead of AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C. Exposed on the surface Submarines depend on staying submerged for survival, but they are more exposed while surfaced, approaching port or transferring people and equipment.

Commercially available models carrying cameras let adversaries gather intelligence without maritime patrol aircraft. Operators can watch a drone without jamming it, leaving that choice to the situation and the rules of engagement.