Breaking Defense

FY26 defense bill boosts budget by $8B, largely bypassing last-minute $28B munitions request

By Valerie Insinna, Michael Marrow, Carley Welch and Theresa Hitchens

Global

UMEX opens with $240 million in contracts to EDGE Group

EDGE announced contracts to research and develop two new variants of its Scorpio small UAV, known as Scorpio S and Scorpio M, as well as a gyrocopter for logistics purposes.

By Riad Kahwaji and Masarra Kahwaji

Drones are shaping warfare in Europe; here’s how they’ll do the same in the Indo-Pacific

Unmanned systems are the focus of efforts to prepare for potential conflicts in the region.

By Breaking Defense

Global

Barzan, EDGE team up for first Qatari-Emirati joint defense firm

“This joint venture with Barzan Holdings shows the importance EDGE places on trusted partnerships as we expand internationally," EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar told Breaking Defense

By Agnes Helou

Latest News

Pentagon

The Break Out: Tracking DOGE in the DoD budget and cyber workforce worries [Video]

What those DOGE-related footnotes in the fiscal 2026 budget request mean, and a check-in on the Pentagon's cyber workforce, this week on The Break Out.

By Breaking Defense Video

Land Warfare

Army seeks tech to dominate drone-filled ‘Air-Ground Littoral’ domain

The solicitation is broad-ranging, calling for tech for use in eight "capability focus areas," from unmanned mine-clearers to "drone swarm or sensor-to-shooter systems that aid in target acquisition, fire adjustment, massing of fires, and attack capabilities."

By Lee Ferran

In this episode:

Global

Raytheon, Germany’s Diehl eye team-up on European Stinger coproduction

Diehl noted that assessment of “various options for increasing production capacity, both at existing sites and possibly other locations,” is already underway.

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare

Air Force Chief Gen. David Allvin to retire in surprise move

Gen. David Allvin will step down "on or about Nov. 1," the Air Force announced today, but will remain in his post "until a replacement is confirmed."

By Michael Marrow

Networks & Digital Warfare

After cuts to DoD’s cyber workforce, experts see short-term readiness risks, but also opportunity

“If [adversaries] see that we're unable to respond, as we have in the past, then it's very likely that we will see an increase in malicious activity," one expert told Breaking Defense. "No question about it."

By Carley Welch

Networks & Digital Warfare

Pentagon moves AI office under R&D, raising fears it’s ‘demoting AI’

“When you pull an organization that was a direct report to the deputy secretary or secretary and move it somewhere else…the message to the force is loud and clear: This isn’t a priority,” said retired Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, who founded the predecessor to the current Chief Digital & AI Office (CDAO).

By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

Opinion

The Army must accelerate counterspace investments

Col. Pete Atkinson argues in this op-ed that the Army needs to have native counterspace capabilities.

By Col. Pete Atkinson

Space

The state of play in military space

The military space sector is evolving fast. Get the latest from Space Force and industry officials on what’s next for acquisition, policy and training in a new Breaking Defense eBook.

By Breaking Defense

Land Warfare

Army moving out with cheaper Robotic Combat Vehicle competition, but with a new name

In a new request for information for Unmanned Ground Commercial Robotic Vehicles, the service said it is eyeing platforms that carry a price tag below $650,000.

By Ashley Roque

Land Warfare

Army revamping hypervelocity cannon plan, eyeing new competitions

“Some of it will absolutely be competed. We're looking at each of the components that SCO has done. … Some of those technologies are more mature than others,” said RCCTO head Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch.

By Ashley Roque

Networks & Digital Warfare

DISA pushes to slash duplication with expansion of JELA program

Up until now DISA was able to create four completed JELAs in the span of 10 years, so creating three more in three years, as is DISA's goal, may prove to be tricky.

By Carley Welch

Space

Northrop Grumman says first DARC test validates radar tracking capability

DARC has been plagued with delays almost since its inception, according to a series of annual studies by the Government Accountability Office.

By Theresa Hitchens

Air Warfare

Beware ‘drone-tastic’ thinking: UK armed forces chief says ‘traditional’ capabilities still matter

Adm. Tony Radakin also warned, however, that whoever gets to "artificial super intelligence" first will dominate on the battlefield.

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare

AI flight software maker Merlin set to go public

The transaction is set to complete in early 2026.

By Valerie Insinna

Pentagon

Mining for DOGE: Defense budget docs show $11B in ‘efficiencies,’ but what are they?

An analysis by AEI conducted in partnership with Breaking Defense scoured thousands of pages of fiscal 2026 Pentagon budget documents, some of the most definitive accounting yet for DOGE’s impact at the Department of Defense.

By Michael Marrow

Featured:

FY26 defense bill boosts budget by $8B, largely bypassing last-minute $28B munitions request

UMEX opens with $240 million in contracts to EDGE Group

Drones are shaping warfare in Europe; here’s how they’ll do the same in the Indo-Pacific

Barzan, EDGE team up for first Qatari-Emirati joint defense firm

Latest News

The Break Out: Tracking DOGE in the DoD budget and cyber workforce worries [Video]

Army seeks tech to dominate drone-filled ‘Air-Ground Littoral’ domain

Raytheon, Germany’s Diehl eye team-up on European Stinger coproduction

Air Force Chief Gen. David Allvin to retire in surprise move

After cuts to DoD’s cyber workforce, experts see short-term readiness risks, but also opportunity

Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy: A New Era in Defense

DIU offers $100M in prizes for voice-controlled AI-enabled drone swarm ‘orchestrator’

Space Force taps Slingshot to build AI adversaries for orbital wargames

Pentagon rolls out major reforms of R&D, AI

US shipbuilder HII expands UK unmanned maritime vehicle support facility

Air Force says AI tools outperform human planners in ‘battle management’ experiment

The AI aircraft debate rages, but both sides are wrong

Pentagon rolls out GenAI platform to all personnel, using Google’s Gemini

GDIT chief Gilliland bets her humans will master artificial intelligence

Chinese use of Claude AI for hacking will drive demand for AI cyber defense, say experts

To compete with China on military AI, US should set the standards

Pentagon moves AI office under R&D, raising fears it’s ‘demoting AI’

The Army must accelerate counterspace investments

The state of play in military space

Army moving out with cheaper Robotic Combat Vehicle competition, but with a new name

Army revamping hypervelocity cannon plan, eyeing new competitions

DISA pushes to slash duplication with expansion of JELA program

Golden Dome: The Path Forward

Inside Honeywell’s business strategy for Golden Dome

Golden Dome faces challenges of size, scope and scale from every angle

Can space-based interceptors really work? What to know about Trump’s plan [VIDEO]

China and Russia won’t like Golden Dome. Here’s how they might respond. [VIDEO]

Golden Dome: Tackling the myths and rumors around America’s new missile shield [VIDEO]

Northrop Grumman says first DARC test validates radar tracking capability

Beware ‘drone-tastic’ thinking: UK armed forces chief says ‘traditional’ capabilities still matter

AI flight software maker Merlin set to go public

Mining for DOGE: Defense budget docs show $11B in ‘efficiencies,’ but what are they?