Drone Boats Make Debut in Navy’s 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan
The Navy’s FY27 shipbuilding update outlines a 30‑year vision for a 450‑vessel fleet, including 299 warships, 68 auxiliaries and more than 80 unmanned vessels. It earmarks 47 medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) by 2031, expanding to 72 by 2056, and calls for 15 nuclear‑powered Trump‑class battleships by 2055. The plan also pushes a high‑low mix of platforms, modular designs and a five‑fold increase in distributed shipbuilding. Funding spikes include $135.8 million for two UUVs in FY27 and $1.1 billion for 16 UUVs through FY31.
Golden Dome Plan Would Cost $1.2 Trillion, CBO Finds
The Congressional Budget Office released a new estimate that the Golden Dome missile‑defense program would cost roughly $1.2 trillion over two decades, far exceeding the White House’s $185 billion budget request. The bulk of the cost—about $730 billion—is tied to space‑based interceptors, a...
Air Force MQ-9 Downs Aerial Targets with Cheap Air-to-Air Missiles
General Atomics announced that an Air Force MQ‑9 Reaper equipped with the laser‑guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) successfully downed aerial targets during a Nevada Test and Training Range demonstration. The APKWS costs roughly $25,000‑$40,000 per missile, a fraction...
US Investors Warm to Ukrainian Defense Startups—But Export Laws Slow Cooperation
Ukrainian defense startups are drawing significant U.S. private capital and Pentagon attention, exemplified by Swarmer’s 700% share surge on its IPO debut. The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program, projected to balloon to $54 billion by 2027, has already highlighted Ukrainian firms like...
With Launches Slated to Grow a Hundredfold, Space Force Seeks More Sites, Money, People, and AI
The U.S. Space Force announced a plan to expand its launch cadence from more than 200 rockets this year to as many as 3,000 annually by 2036. Achieving that scale will require additional launch pads, significantly higher funding, a doubled...
Defense Business Brief: Pitching America First; Visa Deal?; Skunk Works Exec Moves up; Plus a Little More
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick used the SelectUSA Investment Summit to promise streamlined L‑1 visa assistance for foreign firms that build factories in the United States, positioning the "America First" agenda as open to overseas partners. State delegations, notably Oklahoma and...
Pentagon Leaders Love Agentic AI. But It’s Giving Cyber Criminals Nation-State-Like Powers
Pentagon officials report that the GenAI.mil platform, now equipped with Google Gemini and under evaluation with Anthropic’s Mythos, is compressing multi‑week defense tasks into a few hours. While the agency touts the productivity boost, Mythos remains on a national‑security blacklist,...
Air Force Wants AI in Its Air-Ops Command-and-Control System
The Air Force is rolling out the Next‑Generation Air Operations Center Weapon System to embed artificial‑intelligence tools into its command‑and‑control platform for regional air, space, and cyber forces. Since February it has issued a request for information and two Q&A...
Army Turns to ‘Hackathons’ to Better Connect Dozens of Weapons, Systems
The U.S. Army is launching a "Right to Integrate" hackathon series to bring its largest defense contractors together for one‑day brainstorming sessions on open‑architecture command‑and‑control (C2) integration. The first event, slated for later this month at Fort Carson, Colorado, will...
US Escort of Ships Through Hormuz Is a ‘Gift to the World,’ Hegseth Says
The Trump administration launched "Project Freedom" to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing it as a defensive, temporary measure separate from the paused Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Since escorts began on...
'This Is How We Prevail in the Pacific': US, Allies Train to Repel Amphibious Assault
U.S., Philippine and Japanese forces staged a live‑fire amphibious‑defense drill during the Balikatan exercise on the La Paz sand dunes, less than 400 miles from Taiwan. The scenario featured HIMARS rockets, loitering drones, unmanned surface vessels and Apache helicopters coordinating strikes...
Pentagon Seeks Smarter, Self-Organizing Drones as Autonomous-Warfare Budget Is Poised to Skyrocket
The Pentagon plans to increase its autonomous‑warfare budget to $54 billion for FY 2027, up from $226 million this year, aiming to field swarms of AI‑driven drones. DARPA’s new Requests for Information target self‑organizing robots that can think locally and collaborate without central...
Navy EA-18Gs over Iran, Venezuela Show Rise in Aerial Electronic Attack
U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler fleet has seen unprecedented operational use, flying from the carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford to jam and strike Iranian air‑defense systems and to support the January seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro....
Space Force Wraps Decades-Long GPS Upgrade—And the Next One Is on Tap
The U.S. Space Force launched the final GPS III satellite, SV‑10, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, completing a 31‑satellite constellation that delivers three‑times‑greater positioning accuracy and eight‑times better jam resistance. The launch faced a launch‑provider switch and weather delay, but a new...
Former Head of ‘Pentagon’s Think Tank’ Joins Anthropic
James Baker, the former director of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment, has joined AI startup Anthropic as a strategist‑in‑residence. His mandate is to analyze how artificial intelligence reshapes U.S. institutions and the strategic competition with China. Anthropic, recently labeled...
Marine Commandant: Every Combatant Command Has Requested an Amphibious Ready Group
Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith told the Modern Day Marine conference that every U.S. combatant command is now asking for more than the three amphibious ready groups (ARGs) the service traditionally maintains, with demand approaching double that baseline. The 22nd...
Admin Mum on Whether Trump Will Seek to Legalize Iran War
The U.S. began Operation Epic Fury against Iran two months ago without a congressional authorization, and the 60‑day War Powers Resolution clock is set to expire Thursday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested the April 8 ceasefire pauses the clock, a...
Air Force’s Top General: Supplemental Funding Needed to Replace US Aircraft Lost in Iran
Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told a House defense appropriations subcommittee that the loss of roughly 40 aircraft and 10 damaged in the Iran war will require supplemental funding beyond the $1.5 trillion defense budget. The Pentagon has already spent an...
Defense Business Brief: Satellite Firm’s ‘Secret Sauce’ | 3D-Print Factory in a Box | Ship-Lobby Ad
Apex Space is scaling its satellite bus production with the XL version of its Comet platform, which can still fit 16 units on a Falcon 9 launch. The company’s proprietary Octopus software acts as an end‑to‑end operating system, using AI and...
Marine Corps Considering Army’s MV-75 as an Attack Helo Replacement
The Marine Corps is actively exploring the Army‑developed MV‑75 Cheyenne II as a potential replacement for its aging attack helicopter fleet, including the AV‑8 Harrier, UH‑1 Venom and AH‑1 Viper. The service’s Future Attack Strike (FASt) program aims to field a...
Sixty Days in, Pentagon Estimates $25B Spent on Iran War
During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst disclosed that the department has already spent roughly $25 billion in the first 60 days of its operations against Iran. The administration plans to submit a supplemental budget request to...
Meet the 3-Star Insiders Say Will Be Space Force’s Next Top Leader
Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess is the leading candidate to replace Gen. Chance Saltzman as the Space Force’s next Chief of Space Operations, pending a presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. Schiess currently serves as the deputy chief of space operations for...
Acting SecNav: ‘I’m Not Going to Have My Son Go to War the Way I Did'
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao stepped into the role after John Phelan was abruptly removed, delivering his first public remarks at the Modern Day Marine conference. He warned the defense industry about past equipment shortfalls and urged faster, smarter acquisition...
SOCOM Adding AI, Autonomy ‘at Every Level,’ Commander Says
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) told the Senate Armed Services Committee that AI and autonomy are being embedded at every level of its operations. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley highlighted AI’s role in battlefield sensing, target surveillance, and precision strike, as...
Marines Will Update Land Warfare Doctrine as They Prep for Near-Peer, Drone-Driven Fight
The Marine Corps is finalizing its Ground Combat Element 2040 doctrine, slated for release in the coming weeks, as part of the broader Force Design 2030 transformation. The new framework preserves core offensive, defensive and expeditionary capabilities while integrating rapid‑fielded...
Textron Unveils Autonomous Ground Vehicle Designed for Marine Corps Littoral Units
Textron unveiled the RIPSAW M1 autonomous ground‑vehicle demonstrator at the Modern Day Marine conference, targeting the Marine Corps’ littoral units. The M1 uses a modular open‑systems architecture that can carry payloads ranging from reconnaissance sensors to counter‑UAS kits and loitering‑munition...
Pentagon Adds Google’s Latest Model to GenAI.mil as Usage Soars
The Pentagon has integrated Google Cloud’s Gemini 3.1 Pro model into its GenAI.mil platform, making the latest commercial AI capability available to defense users just eight weeks after the public launch. The enterprise‑wide service now supports up to 3 million users, with more...
Space Force Picks Firms to Develop Golden Dome’s Space-Based Interceptors
The U.S. Space Force announced that twelve companies, ranging from established primes to emerging defense firms, have been awarded Other Transaction Authority contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to develop space‑based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile‑defense shield. The program targets...
US Navy Ordered to ‘Shoot and Kill’ Alleged Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Amid Ceasefire
The U.S. Navy has received explicit orders to shoot down any Iranian speedboats suspected of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, extending a naval blockade that began last week. For the first time in decades, three aircraft carriers—Abraham Lincoln,...
The Pentagon Replicated a Ukrainian-Style Drone Attack in Florida. Now It’s Changing Its Counter-Drone Strategy
In September, the Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force‑401 staged Operation Clear Horizon at Eglin Air Force Base, replicating Ukraine’s "spiderweb" drone swarm attack to evaluate U.S. counter‑UAV tactics. The exercise featured a spectrum of drones—from commercial quadcopters to Group‑3 systems—using...
Exploding Shells May Turn the Apache Helicopter Into a Drone Hunter
The U.S. Army is testing AH‑64 Apache helicopters equipped with 30mm proximity‑fuzed shells and guided rockets to counter Group 3‑5 unmanned aerial systems weighing 55 lb to over 1,000 lb. The effort, driven by lessons from Ukraine and Iran, aims to provide a...
Navy Scientists Seek Tech Breakthroughs in Areas that Companies Ignore
The Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) is redirecting its $3 billion annual budget toward long‑term technologies that the private sector is overlooking, such as undersea power systems and explainable artificial intelligence. Rachel Riley emphasized the need to anticipate naval requirements...
The Navy Will Keep Shrinking Until the Industrial Base Catches Up
The Navy’s deployable fleet is shrinking as maintenance backlogs keep more ships in dock, even as operational demands surge across the Red Sea, Caribbean and Persian Gulf. A congressionally‑mandated commission will assess the service’s future, highlighting that the current ship...
Space Force Scrambles to Repair Workforce as Massive Budget Increase Looms
The Trump administration is pushing the U.S. Space Force to manage a 2027 budget request of $71.1 billion, more than double the current $31.6 billion allocation. This comes after a 14% cut to civilian staff and a 10% loss in the Space...
Sub that Sank Iranian Warship Reflects Navy’s Drive to Adapt, CNO Says
The U.S. Navy repurposed an Indo‑Pacific‑based submarine, the USS Charlotte, and within weeks deployed it to the Indian Ocean, where it sank the Iranian frigate Dena with two torpedoes on March 4 – the first torpedo kill by a U.S. sub since...
Why the US Can’t Copy Ukraine’s Robot Navy
U.S. Navy officials say Ukraine’s success with sea drones cannot be directly replicated in the open Pacific or Red Sea, where vast distances and constant surveillance demand different capabilities. The service recently took delivery of its first 145‑ton unmanned trimaran,...
How to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, sharply curtailing the daily flow of oil and gas through the world’s most critical chokepoint. The disruption is already feeding higher fuel prices for American...
Stop Managing NATO. Start Rebalancing It.
NATO can no longer rely on reassurance and diplomatic communiqués; structural tensions demand a strategic rebalancing. Recent Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Washington visit highlighted Europe’s growing distrust of U.S. commitment and the need for a more equitable distribution of...
Army’s HADES Spy Plane on Track for First Delivery Later This Year
The U.S. Army awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation a $1 billion contract to convert a Bombardier 6500 business jet into the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) ISR platform. Flight tests for three prototype aircraft will start this summer, with the...
How the MV-75 Cheyenne II Is Pushing the Service to Re-Think Its Aviation Lineup
The Army’s new MV-75 Cheyenne II tiltrotor delivers speed, range and payload that eclipse the legacy UH‑60 Black Hawk, positioning it as a future replacement. Because the service has no organic aerial tankers, leaders are exploring drone‑based refueling solutions to keep...
Pro-Iran Hackers Appear to Increase Critical Infrastructure Cyberattacks
Pro‑Iran hacktivist group Ababil of Minab claimed responsibility for a March intrusion of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, though analysts say the evidence remains unverified. Federal agencies, including CISA, have warned that Iran‑linked actors are increasingly targeting operational...
New Test Range Opens for the Startup-War Era
Second Bend Labs unveiled a 400,000‑acre test and training complex near Moody Air Force Base, designed to merge military drone operations with civilian startup innovation. The site offers A‑10‑compatible low‑altitude airspace, riverfront water, a 3,000‑sq‑ft hangar, launch pad, and co‑working...
‘Best Drone’ Innovation Winner Developing Enemy Drone Recovery System with the Army Research Lab
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division Innovation Team won the innovation award at the Army’s first Best Drone Warfighter competition with Project RED, a recovery exploitation drone that uses AI and a robotic arm to retrieve enemy UAVs...
Space-Based Missile Defense May Cost Too Much for Golden Dome’s 12-Figure Spending Plan
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein told the House Armed Services Committee that boost‑phase space interceptors, a centerpiece of the Golden Dome missile‑defense plan, are unlikely to be affordable at scale. The program’s budget has swelled to roughly $185 billion, with a...
US Has Turned Back 13 Ships in Blockade of Iran, Joint Chiefs Chairman Says
The U.S. has intercepted 13 commercial vessels since it began a naval blockade of Iran’s ports on Tuesday, according to Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group leads the operation, supported by fighters, intelligence aircraft,...
Russians Will Surrender to Robots. Russian Robots Won’t.
Ukrainian forces achieved a historic first when the 3rd Assault Brigade used unmanned ground robots to force Russian troops to surrender, marking the first recorded instance of enemy combatants yielding to machines. President Zelensky highlighted that Ukrainian robotics firms have...
Air Force Secretary Doubles Down on Space-Based Radar Bet Amid Key Aircraft Losses in Iran
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced a $7 billion investment in space‑based Air Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) satellites for FY2027, while postponing additional funding for battlespace‑awareness aircraft. The service’s legacy E‑3 AWACS fleet has been crippled after an Iranian missile hit...
Space Force’s 2040 Vision: A Larger Force to Contend with Larger Chinese, Russian Threats
The U.S. Space Force released two strategic papers—Objective Force 2040 and Future Operating Environment 2040—outlining a vision for a larger, AI‑driven force to counter accelerating Chinese and Russian space capabilities. The documents forecast China operating roughly 21,000 satellites by 2040...
Defense Business Brief: Robotic Arms + Satellite Refueling | Iran War Costs | Unmasking Shadow Fleets…from Space
MDA Space unveiled the Midnight platform, a satellite equipped with a robotic arm that can inspect, refuel, and defend other spacecraft in orbit. The system compensates for relative drift, enabling seamless refueling while maintaining a safe distance. Selected for the...
Unheeded Lessons From the US Warship Nearly Sunk by an Iranian Mine
Thirty-eight years ago the guided‑missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine in the Strait of Hormuz, suffering a broken keel, flooded engine room and fires that required 18 months and $90 million to repair. The incident exposed a glaring shortage of...