Riyadh gets closer to F-35s, Damascus presses sovereignty and an expert take on Iran
Middle East Bureau Chief Agnes Helou reviews top news from the region before speaking with defense analyst Ryan Bohl.
Elbit America rebrands as Twenty-Six Defense
The US arm of the Israeli weapons firm employs 3,300 people across 10 states, the company said on its website.
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Why Bigger Fences Aren’t Enough in the Age of Drones
Traditional thinking about how to protect facilities must adapt to new threats such as drones or downstream attacks.
US approves potential $800 million helicopter sale to Iraq
The proposed sale “will improve Iraq’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its rotary wing transport, reconnaissance, and air-to-surface targeting capabilities," the State Department said.
The Mecca pact explained, tankers for Qatar, and CENTCOM’s new drone force
Middle East Bureau Chief Agnes Helou recaps leading developments from the region before speaking with Dubai-based analyst Riad Kahwaji.
CENTCOM announces US-UAE task force on AI
“It sounds good on paper,” a former senior defense official told Breaking Defense. “My biggest questions revolve around classified information sharing.”
Hegseth offers $37.5B price tag for ‘certain aspects’ of Iran war
In an at times contentious hearing, the defense secretary said the administration urgently needed nearly $90 billion in supplemental funding in part to cover Iran conflict-related costs.
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Support for Patriot air-and-missile defense is a case study for the industrial base
Manufacturing scale, global sustainment, and next-gen tech are becoming inseparable.
Egypt’s Octagon, NATO and how Mideast nations are adapting to the Iran conflict
Middle East Bureau Chief Agnes Helou recaps top news from the region before discussing ongoing impacts of the Iran war with researcher Bilal Saab.
On the ground at Turkey’s EFES 2026 multinational military exercise
Middle East Bureau Chief Agnes Helou reports from the sidelines of a recent large multinational exercise hosted by Turkey.
Israel’s defense exports reach record $19 billion in 2025
“[M]issile, rocket, and air defense systems continued to lead in 2025, accounting for over a quarter (29%) of total deal volume,” the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced today.
IAI’s new Diamond naval offering envisions flexible drones, missiles for small vessels
The plan involves different defensive systems dispersed across small satellite ships, which can be connected to a mother ship in a disaggregated model.
Building logistics networks for contested environments
Explore how software, edge AI and resilient connectivity can strengthen military logistics in contested environments. Join Breaking Defense on Oct. 21 and earn 1 CPE credit.
From destroyers to drones, how a Europe-led coalition aims to open the Strait of Hormuz
The initiative, led by the UK and France, would only begin once a ceasefire has been declared but could involve 40 nations.
Price tag for Iran war ticks up to $29B, not including base damage
"We're not making an estimate for MILCON [military construction] at this time. We don't know what our future posture is going to be," said Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst.
‘Insatiable appetite’ for AI: Maven usage surged for strikes on Iran, Pentagon AI chief says
DoD users tore through 20 billion tokens a day as Palantir’s Maven Smart System was "leveraged" to help plan and coordinate Operation Epic Fury’s 13,000 airstrikes on Iran, officials said.
Iran conflict could open door for new players in Gulf defense market
As Gulf countries reassess defense needs after the Iran conflict, new entrants may find a windfall, writes Alek Jovovic of CSIS.