Breaking Defense

Golden Dome, out-years and lots of missiles: Details of Trump’s $1.5T defense budget request

By Ashley Roque, Valerie Insinna, Theresa Hitchens, Michael Marrow, Diana Stancy and Carley Welch

Space

EXCLUSIVE: SDA’s Sandhoo likely to lead Space Force Missile Warning & Tracking portfolio

It is unclear whether Gurpartap "GP" Sandhoo will keep his role as SDA acting director under a double-hat, but one industry source said that is the most likely solution at least in the near term.

By Theresa Hitchens

Global

Villagers in South Lebanon hang on to hope and their homes as war continues

“My house is my only shelter, and I don’t want to leave it,” one villager told Breaking Defense.

By Agnes Helou

Air Warfare

US F-15E fighter jet downed by Iran, rescue operations underway

The loss of an American fighter jet over Iran would appear to be the first manned American aircraft downed over Iran during Operation Epic Fury.

By Michael Marrow and Ashley Roque

Latest News

Air Warfare

Lockheed expects June award of ‘combined’ F-35 production deal

“What our customer is telling us now is to expect lot 18 and lot 19 to be combined into a single award," said Lockheed Chief Financial Officer Evan Scott.

By Valerie Insinna

Air Warfare

Top SASC Dem skeptical that Air Force fields F-47 in ‘two or three years’

“I would be very pleased but very surprised that they could deliver within two or three years,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

By Valerie Insinna

In this episode:

What NATO wants most, and how Breaking Defense is expanding in Europe

Global

Trump still has ‘hope’ for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, but hurdles lie ahead: Experts

“I think that ... rapprochement is in deep freeze and will remain in deep freeze until sometime after Gaza is resolved,” one analyst told Breaking Defense.

By Agnes Helou

Land Warfare

Army Vice to aviation community: Cuts hurt, but ‘not making them would hurt more’

Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division will be the first to receive FLRAA, said Gen. James Mingus.

By Ashley Roque

Air Warfare

Trump, Qatar sign agreements to go ahead with $2B MQ-9B, $1B counter-drone orders

Both deals had previously been approved, but the White House said today's signings "mark President Trump's intent to accelerate Qatar's defense investment in the U.S.-Qatar security partnership — enhancing regional deterrence and benefitting the US industrial base."

By Lee Ferran

Air Warfare

Pentagon considers big shifts for Sentinel ICBM, drone wingmen in FY25, draft documents say

The Air Force could cut about $1 billion from the Sentinel ICBM and add hundreds of millions of dollars for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone wingmen program, a draft April proposal says.

By Michael Marrow

Air Warfare

Belgium signs declaration with Poland to boost air power and MANPADS capabilities

The plan from Belgium to acquire hundreds of MANPADS comes at time when Europe is investing heavily in rearmament initiatives and urgent efforts to shore up its defenses.

By Tim Martin

Modernizing defense enterprise IT without disrupting the mission

Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.

By Breaking Defense

Air Warfare

Space stalwart Troy Meink confirmed as Air Force secretary

Meink, most recently the principal deputy director for the National Reconnaissance Office, is a relative anomaly amongst President Donald Trump’s picks for top Defense Department leaders, having an extensive history of working within the US government.

By Valerie Insinna

All Domain

DIU expands ‘Hybrid Space Architecture’ vendor pool, plans 2026 pilot

HSA is aimed at creating a "hack-proof" internet in space comprising commercial and government SATCOM birds to underpin the Defense Department's Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control concept to link sensors and shooters in real time.

By Theresa Hitchens

Congress

Space Force should get a quarter of Pentagon spending, if DoD is serious about countering China

Christopher Stone in this op-ed argues that since China sees Space as the most important domain, the US should give more money to the Space Force.

By Christopher Stone

Air Warfare

At nearly $142 billion, White House claims largest defense deal ‘in history’ with Saudi Arabia

Details about purported deals are scarce, but one analysts told Breaking Defense, "When the Trump factor is involved, we should not dismiss any possibilities."

By Agnes Helou

Global

Video: The Weekly Break Out Episode 17: Weapons in space and Trump in the Gulf

Editors Aaron Mehta and Lee Ferran walk through a big exclusive about space, and then preview the news from Trump's first trip abroad.

By Breaking Defense Video

Featured:

Golden Dome, out-years and lots of missiles: Details of Trump’s $1.5T defense budget request

EXCLUSIVE: SDA’s Sandhoo likely to lead Space Force Missile Warning & Tracking portfolio

Villagers in South Lebanon hang on to hope and their homes as war continues

US F-15E fighter jet downed by Iran, rescue operations underway

Latest News

Lockheed expects June award of ‘combined’ F-35 production deal

Top SASC Dem skeptical that Air Force fields F-47 in ‘two or three years’

What NATO wants most, and how Breaking Defense is expanding in Europe

Trump still has ‘hope’ for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, but hurdles lie ahead: Experts

Army Vice to aviation community: Cuts hurt, but ‘not making them would hurt more’

Trump, Qatar sign agreements to go ahead with $2B MQ-9B, $1B counter-drone orders

Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy: A New Era in Defense

First set of defensive cyber kits to be delivered to CYBERCOM units

Judge grants Anthropic preliminary injunction but Pentagon CTO says ban still stands

Companies to enter negotiations to build commercial data centers on Army installations

Swiss Destinus, Shield AI wrap European drone autonomy test campaign

Trump admin’s comments could undermine case against Anthropic in court: Experts

Pentagon CTO ‘pretty confident’ about life after Anthropic

Baykar unveils K2 Kamikaze drone with AI, swarming capabilities

Anthropic CEO says Pentagon ban less harsh than Hegseth had threatened

Pentagon’s new chief data officer to push ‘AI capabilities to warfighters’

AI giant Anthropic says it ‘cannot in good conscience’ agree to Pentagon demands

Pentagon considers big shifts for Sentinel ICBM, drone wingmen in FY25, draft documents say

Belgium signs declaration with Poland to boost air power and MANPADS capabilities

Modernizing defense enterprise IT without disrupting the mission

Space stalwart Troy Meink confirmed as Air Force secretary

Pentagon Buzz News Video

Will the Pentagon have to cut exercises to pay for the Iran war?

Pentagon comptroller says a ‘generational investment’ is coming, but when?

The Pentagon wants to buy 30,000 new drones. Here are the key questions.

Watch Pentagon Buzz, Breaking Defense’s new show on DoD policies, personalities and power

DIU expands ‘Hybrid Space Architecture’ vendor pool, plans 2026 pilot

Space Force should get a quarter of Pentagon spending, if DoD is serious about countering China

At nearly $142 billion, White House claims largest defense deal ‘in history’ with Saudi Arabia

Video: The Weekly Break Out Episode 17: Weapons in space and Trump in the Gulf