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Korean Air Aerospace pushes forward with Collaborative Combat Aircraft plans

"We delivered our CCA platform last year and will having flight tests at the end of this year," Director of International Business for KE-ASD Haneul Kim confirmed.

By Mike Yeo

Land Warfare

Missed AUSA 2026? Get the Ground Truth from Breaking Defense’s free eBook

Catch up on the conference’s biggest stories, Army priorities and industry developments in our AUSA 2026 after-action report. Download it free, with no registration required.

By Breaking Defense Video

In this episode:

Another busy week for the defense industry, with Euronaval underway in Paris and the International Fighter Conference convening in Germany
A closer look at the Hollywood star who became an Air Force general

Space

DoD taps Viasat to field operations ‘center’ for Golden Dome satellite data relay network

The ID/IQ contract to "design, field and scale" the Mission Operation Center for the Space Data Network Backbone is worth a maximum of $450 million.

By Theresa Hitchens

Air Warfare

U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric “Doom” Fesmire, 57th Fighter Squadron F-35 Lightning II formal training unit pilot, and German Air Force Lt. Col. Stefan Koellner, German country liaison officer, greet each other while exchanging the German flag and a patch after the first German Air Force F-35 aircraft lands at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, Oct. 6, 2026. The arrival marks the start of German F-35 pilot training at Ebbing ANGB, led by the 85th Fighter Group, a detachment of the 33rd Fighter Wing out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The Foreign Military Sales program provides training to allied nations operating the F-35 to enhance interoperability, coalition capabilities, and global security partnerships.

Europe’s airpower future is taking shape, but not as originally planned

Germany's next move, the fate of GCAP, and the rise of CCAs reshape Europe's combat aircraft strategy.

By Barry Rosenberg

Congress, Global

Cut to US aid would impact Israeli acquisition timelines, spending: Analysts

Israel is actively seeking more Apache helicopters, F-15 and F-35 fighter jets and munitions.

By Seth J. Frantzman

Global

Saudi Arabia inks first defense ‘cooperation’ agreement with Syria’s new leadership

“The agreement will likely initially focus on military training, intelligence sharing, equipment transfers and assistance in rebuilding Syria's armed forces," one expert told Breaking Defense.

By Agnes Helou

Air Warfare, Opinion

The Navy’s trainer is now the biggest test of the Pentagon’s acquisition reform efforts

With the competition effectively reduced to one bidder, the Navy faces a choice between falling back on old acquisition habits and showing that its reforms can work under pressure, writes Robbin Laird.

By Robbin Laird

Space

Key Space Force satellites can’t talk to each other, likely requiring $1B solution: Sources

To translate between the SpaceX-built SDN Backbone and other Pentagon communications and missile tracking satellites, sources said the Space Force is eyeing 12 or 13 Space Exchange Point birds.

By Theresa Hitchens

Air Warfare

Europe nears decision on competing hypersonic interceptor programs

The European Commission is expected to select one of two competing consortia by the end of November to advance development of a European interceptor targeting hypersonic and ballistic missile threats, with a system-level demonstrator targeted for 2030.

By Andrew White

Congress

Republicans have a ticking clock. What can they get done on defense?

Reconciliation, defense appropriations and the NDAA will all fight for attention as Congress considers the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

By Valerie Insinna