Breaking Defense

Congress

The state of play with the defense budget’s various moving parts

By Breaking Defense Video

Naval Warfare

DIU, Navy launch containerized payload competition

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle has been on a “containerized capability campaign."

By Diana Stancy

All Domain

Six takeaways from the 2026 NATO Summit

From deep strike funding to a relatively tame Trump, what emerged from the event will have largely pleased most of the 32 allies.

By Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo and Tim Martin

Land Warfare

Pentagon picks Lockheed, nLIGHT for laser defense project

Separately, MBDA and Rheinmetall were selected to develop a laser weapon system for the German Navy.

By Michael Marrow

Latest News

Air Warfare, Pentagon

The autonomous CCA wingmen of 2030 may look nothing like today’s assumptions

While services test teaming with Collaborative Combat Aircraft, industry faces hard questions.

By Barry Rosenberg

Pentagon

New drone czar’s success hinges on personalities, Pentagon politics: Experts

Depending on who’s named to head the new drone-buying office, and how they handle the inevitable friction, said a former Pentagon AI chief, “it may turn out to be a master stroke ... [or] it could end up looking like the F-35.”

By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

In this episode:

The US military added a new drone chief while the UK, Italy and Japan advance plans for a new fighter jet.

Air Warfare, Pentagon

Pentagon seeks to shift $4.3B to pay for increasing operation and personnel costs

In a 47-page omnibus reprogramming notification, the Pentagon outlines an array of weapon and tech programs it wants to strip dollars from to pay for “unforeseen military requirements" which are "determined to be necessary in the national interests."

By Ashley Roque and Valerie Insinna

Opinion

The AI disinformation gap the Pentagon may be missing

"The Pentagon is building a better mousetrap while the mice are rewriting the blueprint for the house," argues this analyst.

By Mark Ginsberg

Networks & Digital Warfare

Safeguarding federally funded innovation: navigating the new era of research security

On-demand webinar: Research security in an era of global competition

Watch experts discuss foreign influence risks, evolving DoD policy, and strategies for balancing security with scientific collaboration.

By Breaking Defense

Air Warfare

European coalition pledges $50 billion to modernize deep precision strike capabilities

In a joint statement, the 12-member coalition linked the move to America's shifting stance in European defense.

By Tim Martin

Land Warfare

Army selects four companies for new autonomous breaching program

The program aims to minimize troops' exposure to danger and ensure safe passage of follow-on forces, according to the Army.

By Carley Welch

Global

Defying Trump, Italy’s Meloni ‘maintaining’ hard line against Iran war help

At the start of the NATO Summit, the American president lambasted allied nations that refused to aid in US strikes against Tehran, including Italy.

By Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo

Space

Why DoD, Silicon Valley now are betting on solar power beaming sats

"Space Operational Energy is a growing focus for us. We hope to host industry days and create avenues for collaboration with industry partners in the near future," an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense.

By Theresa Hitchens

Land Warfare

There’s promise — and peril — in the Army’s low-cost interceptor plan, experts say

Two analysts and a former defense official praised the Army's new LCI program, while also pointing to concerns over production bottlenecks, budget constraints and testing procedures.

By Carley Welch

Global

Trump leaves summit praising NATO ‘unification,’ floats Ukraine-made Patriots

Kyiv has sought more Patriot interceptors to aid in its defense against Russian missiles and drones.

By Ashley Roque

Space

Space Force adds two startups to small, medium launch pool

The two additions to SSC's National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program bring the total number of qualified launch providers to seven.

By Theresa Hitchens

Space

Eight NATO allies to create new satellite mega-constellation

The network will involve Denmark, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey.

By Theresa Hitchens

Opinion

Help GPS resiliency against Russia with this one simple change

GPS vulnerability is a serious national security issue and many federal departments have a role. But if this is everyone’s responsibility, no one is responsible.

By William Shelton

Breaking Defense

Latest News

Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy: A New Era in Defense

Pentagon Buzz News Video