Breaking Defense

CCA Round 2: Air Force picks 9 vendors for next batch of drone wingmen

Trump nominates Marine general for top SOUTHCOM job

If confirmed, Lt. Gen. Frank Donovan will replace Adm. Alvin Holsey, who announced in October that he would step down as SOUTHCOM's commander by the end of the year.

By Valerie Insinna

Naval Warfare

Navy announces new frigate class, taps HII to build off national security cutter

“Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said.

By Justin Katz

Congress, Pentagon

10 Breaking Defense op-eds that defined 2025

It's been a whirlwind of a year — and the defense establishment has plenty of thoughts on how it's unfolded and what might come next.

By Breaking Defense

Latest News

Space

MDA adds 1,086 firms to its SHIELD pool for Golden Dome-related tech

With the new awards, a total of 2,100 firms have been qualified by the Missile Defense Agency to compete for future SHIELD tech development contracts.

By Theresa Hitchens

Space

SDA awards four contracts worth $3.5B for next-gen missile tracking satellites

Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab USA, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris Technologies each won awards to "deliver and operate 18 space vehicles" for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 3 Tracking Layer.

By Theresa Hitchens

In this episode:

With the Reagan National Defense Forum in the rearview mirror, lawmakers are zeroing in on a $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act.

Space

New Trump space policy sets 2028 deadline for Moon base, Golden Dome prototype

The policy is light on language regarding security issues — with the most specific provision reiterating Trump's Golden Dome push for a comprehensive air and missile defense shield.

By Theresa Hitchens

Pentagon

Pentagon fails (another) audit, restates 2028 goal to finally pass

Auditors identified a financial misstatement concerning the F-35 program as part of this past year's audit.

By Valerie Insinna

Pentagon

Senate confirms Coast Guard’s new top admiral, other key DoD officials

Senators confirmed a new Pentagon comptroller and director of operational test and evaluation, among others.

By Valerie Insinna

Land Warfare

Breaking Defense’s 5 most-clicked stories of 2025

From an Army leader's harsh warning to AFRICOM's worries, here are a few stories that broke out of containment this year.

By Lee Ferran

Space

With NDAA, Congress twists Space Force’s arm on beefing up acquisition chops

"I look forward to working with [Air Force] Secretary Meink and the service to make sure the language in the NDAA is fully implemented," Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers, R.-Ala., told Breaking Defense today.

By Theresa Hitchens

Air Warfare

Expanded $6.5B Arrow agreement with Germany now largest Israeli defense export deal

“IAI’s pivotal role in Germany’s air defense array and the trust established with the German government were recently demonstrated during the delivery of the Arrow 3 system, just two years from contract signing,” CEO of IAI Boaz Levy said.

By Seth J. Frantzman

Space

Germany awards ICEYE, Rheinmetall almost $2B for new SAR satellite network

For ICEYE, the German deal is the latest in a handful of high-profile sales to European militaries as the continent moves out on a collective effort to establish "strategic autonomy" in from the United States in the space domain.

By Theresa Hitchens

Land Warfare

Army seeks new MAPS Gen II vendors willing to hand over intellectual property

The second generation Mounted Assured PNT System (MAPS Gen II) program is currently under contract with RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace which is scheduled to run through September 2027.

By Carley Welch

Space

No THAADs ’til 2027: Missile defense experts warn of interceptor ‘gap’

CSIS says the delivery gap in THAAD ground-based interceptors comes after the Army used scores to help defend Israel during the June 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.

By Theresa Hitchens

Global, Air Warfare

Spain approves $5.3 billion mega-order of 100 Airbus helicopters

In addition to the hefty H145M order, Madrid will also acquire 31 NH90 helicopters, 13 H135 rotorcraft and six H175M super-medium utility models.

By Tim Martin

Global

US greenlights massive, $11 billion military arms package to Taiwan

Beijing did not take the announcement well, saying the offer of the arms package "grossly violates the one-China principle," undermines stability in the region and "sends a gravely wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatists forces."

By Lee Ferran

Featured:

CCA Round 2: Air Force picks 9 vendors for next batch of drone wingmen

Trump nominates Marine general for top SOUTHCOM job

Navy announces new frigate class, taps HII to build off national security cutter

10 Breaking Defense op-eds that defined 2025

Latest News

MDA adds 1,086 firms to its SHIELD pool for Golden Dome-related tech

SDA awards four contracts worth $3.5B for next-gen missile tracking satellites

With the Reagan National Defense Forum in the rearview mirror, lawmakers are zeroing in on a $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act.

New Trump space policy sets 2028 deadline for Moon base, Golden Dome prototype

Pentagon fails (another) audit, restates 2028 goal to finally pass

Senate confirms Coast Guard’s new top admiral, other key DoD officials

Multi-Domain Operations: Global C2 and Joint Operations

France’s Safran.AI, UAE’s TII team up on agentic AI for geospatial intelligence

Joint Ukraine-NATO training and analysis team gets classified, AI-enabled Google Cloud

IBCS set for full rate production, Polish milestone, Northrop says

Golden Dome implementation plan under review, Congress may get look this week

Army doubles balloons for upcoming SWARMS demo, adds NORAD to the mix

Golden Dome SBIs will need to be defended from adversary attack: Experts

Pentagon formalizes conventional forces’ role in irregular warfare, but will it stick?

‘That’s a tank’: Army introduces AI-aided target recognition to Next Gen C2 prototype

US slams ‘discriminatory’ draft EU space law as imperiling NATO cooperation

Breaking Defense’s 5 most-clicked stories of 2025

With NDAA, Congress twists Space Force’s arm on beefing up acquisition chops

Expanded $6.5B Arrow agreement with Germany now largest Israeli defense export deal

Germany awards ICEYE, Rheinmetall almost $2B for new SAR satellite network

Army seeks new MAPS Gen II vendors willing to hand over intellectual property

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]

No THAADs ’til 2027: Missile defense experts warn of interceptor ‘gap’

Spain approves $5.3 billion mega-order of 100 Airbus helicopters

US greenlights massive, $11 billion military arms package to Taiwan