Breaking Defense, Author at Breaking Defense

Bell's 505 helicopter is one of the aircraft selected by the Army to move forward in the Flight School Next competition (Photo courtesy of Bell Textron.)

Army Flight School Next: A new way to train the next generation of aviators

An innovative program to draw on industry resources to train helicopter pilots in a different way.

Next-generation C2 won’t be next-gen without the network transport

The network transport architecture for NGC2 could be a hybrid approach that combines high assurance communications with 5G, WiFi, and multi-orbit satellites.

Sponsored Post, Networks & Digital Warfare

U.S. Air National Guard service members assigned to the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Component Test Center conduct preflight checks during Resolute Force Pacific 25, in the Indo-Pacific region, July 24, 2025. The exercise’s comprehensive nature with thousands of participants across multiple Indo-Pacific locations provided optimal conditions to validate the enhanced KC-135's data systems under operational stress. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Guadalupe Beltran)

Why enterprise IT modernization matters now – and how to “delight by design”

Do more with less: streamline workflows, reduce duplication, invest upfront to save long-term.

Sponsored Post, Land Warfare

Developing American-made propellants needed for long-range fires

The industrial base is building the infrastructure needed to secure domestic production of artillery shells.

Sponsored Post, Air Warfare, Networks & Digital Warfare

Drones have changed the battlefield; counter-UAS systems must keep up

As drones become more capable and deadlier, counter-drone technology and strategy must adapt to stay effective.

Sponsored Post, Land Warfare

Navigation warfare is about the battle to assure positioning, navigation, and timing

The U.S. Army’s MAPS Gen II program of record for assured PNT provides an authoritative and reliable source of truth for combat vehicles in a highly contested battlespace.

Sponsored Post, Land Warfare

How layered defense systems are adapting to ever-shifting drone threats

Maneuverable and deadly drone swarms are driving demand for platform-agnostic solutions for cannons and missiles.

Answering the demand signal to move faster, field sooner, iterate continuously

As threats rapidly evolve, digital engineering, manufacturing capacity and robust supply chains are critical to meeting challenges.

Changing the game in flight testing; a helicopter that reconfigures avionics in-flight

The future of Army aviation will be avionics flight testing where new code is written and uploaded before the helicopter lands.

Sponsored Post, Land Warfare

Army accelerates production of Black Widow drone for short-range reconnaissance

The Black Widow ISR quadcopter was also approved for procurement by NATO member nations and partners.

Sponsored Post, Networks & Digital Warfare

Portuguese Army Staff Sgt. Luis Carvalho controls a Dragon Runner 20 small, unmanned ground robot, during a training mission, Sept. 11, 2025, Rudninkai Training Area, Lithuania. In this training scenario, a dummy hostage is set up with a fake improvised explosive device and the Portuguese soldiers have to figure out how to safely and swiftly defuse the explosive. V Corps invests in developing the warfighting capabilities of NATO’s national and multinational corps and division forces through realistic scenarios. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Terron Williams)

Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands

Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.

Sponsored Post, Air Warfare, Networks & Digital Warfare

Virtual and constructive training allow for building training scenarios that may be difficult to assemble in live training.

Constantly evolving aerial threats demand training that adapts accordingly

With potential adversaries no longer predictable, training must move beyond just live exercises and flight simulators.

Sponsored Post, Networks & Digital Warfare

America must adopt a Sixth Domain of warfare doctrine

The Sixth Domain is not defined by geography. It’s a new kind of conflict in which autonomy and networked systems allow thousand-dollar consumer electronics to destroy multi-million-dollar conventional weapons systems.