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The Uncertain Fate of China’s Defense Minister
Over the summer, a single handshake between Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin and sanctioned Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu signaled the strained relations between the United States and China. However, Li’s sudden disappearance... More of this article »
Tensions Soar as China Flexes Military Might in the Pacific
In a significant display of military force, China has initiated a series of extensive drills in the western Pacific, featuring its Shandong aircraft carrier along with as many as thirty-five warplanes. Analysts have described these... More of this article »
Military’s Hope for Hybrid Planes in Commercial Aviation
Innovation is the driving force that propels us into the future of aviation. One such innovation that has captured the attention of both the U.S. military and the broader commercial aviation industry is the concept of hybrid planes,... More of this article »
International Support Strengthens Ukraine’s Defense Efforts
Germany and Poland have committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities by providing sustained assistance for the country’s newly acquired Leopard tanks. At the same time, the Netherlands and Denmark have... More of this article »
US Navy Cancels Large Undersea Unmanned Vehicle Program After Ten Years of Development
The United States Navy has canceled its plans to hold an industry competition to build the military arm’s new large unmanned undersea vehicle. Nicknamed “Snakehead,” the Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle program... More of this article »
Pentagon Officials Green Light the Army’s Integrated Batte Command System
After some delay, the authorities at the Pentagon have finally approved production for the Army’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante comments gave... More of this article »
USAF’s Preliminary B-21 Flight Falls Behind Schedule, but Only Slightly
It is a few months late, but the United States Air Force’s new B-21 Raider stealth bomber is finally ready for action. Fortunately, the service planned for reasonable delays, and the schedule remains “within the baseline,”... More of this article »
US Navy’s $255 Billion Budget Request Prioritizes Submarines and Hypersonic Capabilities Over Amphibs
The United States Navy has delivered a budget request of approximately $255 billion, focusing on the acquisition of at least nine battle force ships. They hope one such ship will be its second Columbia-class submarine. The proposal... More of this article »
US Department of Defense Releases Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request
This week, the United States Department of Defense released its [fiscal year] 2024 budget. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin II remarks it is the “most strategy-driven request we’ve ever produced.” He also explains that a... More of this article »
Persistent Systems To Upgrade Security Networking Infrastructure at US Nuclear Bases
The United States Air Force has sought assistance from communications-technology company Persistent Systems to facilitate seamless security operations networking across all three of the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile... More of this article »
US Marine Corps Commences First of Four Phase Experiment with Light Amphibious Vehicle Replacement
In the first week of March, the United States Marine Corps announced a four-phase testing strategy for its stern-landing vessel. Known also as SLV, the stern-landing vessel provides offshore support for various Marine Corps operations.... More of this article »
US Army’s New Jam-Resistant Vehicle Navigation Suite Passes Pentagon Evaluation
The U.S. Army recently conducted trials on new navigation technology resistant to electronic jamming. These devices are mounted on U.S. Army vehicles and will assist soldier utility and navigation by providing environmental and situational... More of this article »
F-35 Engine Delivery Receives Pentagon Approval Following Abnormal Vibration Remedy
The U.S. Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office recently cleared the way for Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney sector to resume delivery of new F135 engines for the military’s new Joint Strike Fighters. Roughly a couple of months... More of this article »
US Air Force Mulling Over Potential Remote Drone Fleet Operations
The United States Air Force is currently looking at the possibility that drone wingmen could fly along with a piloted fighter aircraft while being controlled by operators on a nearby refueling tanker or battle management aircraft.... More of this article »
US Navy Selects Lockheed Martin to Build New Hypersonic Missiles
On Friday, February 17, the United States Navy awarded a $1.2 billion deal to defense contractor Lockheed Martin to deliver brand-new hypersonic missiles. The ballistics will be available to the Army and Navy but will be specifically... More of this article »
USAF is Rethinking Their Refueling Tanker Fleet
The United States Air Force has recently revealed plans for its next-generation mid-flight refueling tanker—the KC-Z—to launch by 2040. According to a USAF update posted online at the end of January, the military service will... More of this article »
Army Awards New Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Contract ot AM General
In early February, the United States Army awarded AM General an $8.66 billion contract to flesh out the service’s fleet of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles or JLTVs. The contract comes on the heels of a competition to build more... More of this article »
Defense Stock Names You Need to Know
The U.S. government is the largest customer for many defense companies, providing a significant portion of their revenue. This stability and predictability can be beneficial for both the companies and investors. However, the revenue... More of this article »
Senators Endorse Potential NDAA Critical Munitions Acquisition Fund
A handful of senators formed a partisan alliance to endorse the Pentagon’s request to form a critical munitions acquisition fund within the budget as described in the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Senator... More of this article »
United States Air Force Is Grounding 90 Percent of C-130Hs Over Cracked Propeller Barrel Concerns
The United States Air Force has chosen to ground almost all of its older C-130H Hercules cargo planes (and their variants). The decision came after recognizing a problem with their propeller barrels. On the final Friday of September... More of this article »
Raytheon Technologies Wins Hypersonic Missile Contract Worth $985M
The United States Air Force (USAF) recently announced the awarding of a contract to Raytheon Technologies. Worth upwards of $985 million, this contract will focus on developing—and demonstrating—scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise... More of this article »
US Army Tests Robotic Vehicle in JRMC Exercise
The US Army’s Project Origin presented an autonomy demonstration at the recent Joint Multinational Readiness Center, in Germany, to emphasize the inherent dangers in robotic autonomous systems (RAS). The hope is to assist the... More of this article »
US Military Awards HII Contract to Develop Tech that Addresses Urgent Needs
When Huntington Ingalls Industries rebranded themselves as a global defense contractor a few months ago—as, American Shipbuilder HII—they may not have known they would have a Pentagon contract so soon. However, that is the story... More of this article »
After Two Delays, USAF Conducts Nuclear Missile Test
Earlier this week—and after 12 days of delay—the United States Air Force conducted a test of an unarmed a single intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a press release, Air Force Global Strike Command revealed the 576th... More of this article »
United Kingdom Published New Maritime Strategy to Address Escalating Global Tensions
This week, the United Kingdom published a five-year maritime strategy focusing on improving their naval navigation freedom within the Indo-Pacific. Among the important components, the new strategy aims to “officially” recognize—and... More of this article »
Air Force Requests Congressional Relief for E-7 Wedgetail Contract
While Congress has not approved their 2023 budget just yet, the United States Air Force hopes to receive it by October, when the new fiscal year begins. In the meantime, the agency has requested lawmakers do what is necessary to... More of this article »
Israel Defense Ministry Developing Voice Commanded Drones
For the past few years, Israel Defense Forces has been working on new system technologies to improve coordination on the ground. An official with Israel’s Defense Ministry Directorate of Defense Research and Development explains... More of this article »
Defense Contractor Concerned About Labor Shortages Even as Hiring Accelerates
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on industries all over the world, both in terms of labor shortages and supply chain issues. Labor shortfalls lingering from lockdowns seem to be affecting the defense industry more than others,... More of this article »
Navy Awards Berth and Dry Dock Refurbishment Contract to AECOM
In early August, the United States Navy awarded a contract worth $91 million to AECOM Technical Services, intended to fund infrastructure repairs at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Specifically, they aim to prepare the facility to service... More of this article »
Army Research Lab Hopes to Build a Better Battery or Fully Electrified Fleet
At the United States Army’s Ground Vehicle System Center, battery research programs aim to transition Army transportation to hybrid and fully-electric vehicles for quieter and longer operations between charges. The bigger hope... More of this article »
Don’t Be Fooled By the Name, the USAF ‘Angry Kitten’ Attack Pod is a Beast
It may not have the most terrifying name on the list but the United States Air Force’s Angry Kitten Combat Pod is definitely something not to be ignored. Designed to simulate enemy threats, Angry Kitten has been so successful... More of this article »
Senate Requests $2B Boost to Space Force Budget for Missile Defense
Senate lawmakers in Washington intend to bump up the budget for the Space Force by at least $2 billion in order to more effectively support the development of a missile warning satellite as well as more responsive launch capabilities,... More of this article »
New Senate Plan Boosts Defense Spending by Nearly 10 Percent
Late in the final week of July, Senate Democrats introduced a new defense spending package that could significantly expedite the White House’s military spending plans across fiscal 2023. The new plan is worth about $792 billion. It... More of this article »
USAF Grounds Most F-35 Fighter Jets Over Ejection Seat Issue
In April, inspectors with the United States Armed Forces discovered a problem with the ejection seats outfitted on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets that could affect the entire fleet. Officials said they originally suspected the... More of this article »
Northrop Wins US Homeland Missile Defense System Contract Worth $3 Billion
In Washington, last week, the Missile Defense Agency awarded a contract worth as much as $3 billion to Northrop Grumman intended for the integration and management of weapon systems associated with the Ground-based Midcourse Defense ... More of this article »
Army Looks to Advance Communications and Other Tech at NetModX
The research team and science and technology community at the US Army just finished up nine weeks of experiments that involve new communications technology with the potential for use on high-profile next-generation helicopters. They... More of this article »
Military Officials Look To Evolve Loitering Munitions
With the conflict in Ukraine persisting, modern weapon makers have watched the Ukraine military demonstrate just how lethal and effective loitering munitions can be. Thus, these manufacturers are now looking to respond to rising... More of this article »
Raytheon Technologies Celebrates Second Successful Scramjet Missile Test Flight
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced this week the success of a second test flight for Raytheon Technologies’ new Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapons Concept. Also known as HAWC missiles, the Hypersonic... More of this article »
US Coast Guard Requests Icebreaker Fleet Additions To Support Arctic Competition
If the United States wants to counteract Russian and Chinese movements in the Arctic region, they are going to grow the ice-breaking capabilities of the US Coast Guard. According to a statement made by the service’s commander,... More of this article »
FCC Commissioner Advises TikTok Use by Troops Could Pose National Security Risk
A US regulator recently warned lawmakers that military troops and their family members who use the video-sharing app TikTok could actually be jeopardizing national security. Although the military services, overall, have banned the... More of this article »
Lockheed Martin Snags $59 Million Contract to Furnish Electronic Warfare Suite Prototypes
Global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin secured a contract worth nearly $59 million to design prototypes for a new Terrestrial Layer System-Brigadej Combat Team program (TLS-BCT). The outfit is intended to provide soldiers... More of this article »
Swedish Air Force Devising New Combat Aircraft Strategy
A Swedish Air Force chief has revealed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has motivated Sweden to develop a brand new strategy for their next-generation of combat aircraft. Now a member of NATO, the Swedish government has chosen... More of this article »
Officials Say the Pentagon’s JADC2 Plan is Evolving to Address More Potential International Threats
Over the past couple years, the US Air Force has been working on an initiative to overhaul military communications and data-sharing. Since 2020, the classified Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), signed by Deputy Secretary... More of this article »
US Aims To Send Additional HIMARS Rocket Systems to Support Ukraine
The US government is ramping up to send Ukraine as much as $400 million in additional military equipment and other supplies to help the embattled nation repel Russian forces currently attempting to advance on the Donbas region. The... More of this article »
Army Says New Aircraft Engine Has Passed Initial Tests
The first round of testing in the US Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program has completed, helping to identify whether or not the new engines will be able to successfully power the existing fleet of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters... More of this article »
Navy Officials Advise RIMPAC Is Not Aimed at China, but Defending Taiwan Should Be A Priority
China has recently let it be known, publicly, its intentions to develop military capabilities that will allow them to take Taiwan—by force if necessary—as soon as 2027. This has put strain on US military operations as Ukraine... More of this article »
US Will Send $820 Million NASAMS Air Defense Package Weapons to Ukraine
In the first week of July, the Pentagon announced a plan to provide upwards of $820 million in new military aid to Ukraine. This financial assistance package include ballistics inventory like counter-artillery radar and advanced... More of this article »
Army Awards General Dynamics Light Tank Production Contract
At the end of June, the US Army announced their choice of manufacturer for a new light tank featuring improved mobility, better protection, and updated direct-fire capabilities . This announcement revealed General Dynamics Land Systems... More of this article »