Breaking Defense

EXCLUSIVE: SNC pulls out of Navy’s trainer jet competition, leaving Textron likely winner

Thales subsidiary lands US Navy contract for remote mine hunting modules

The contract, awarded to Advanced Acoustic Concepts, is worth $53.9 million and also covers engineering support for the modules.

By Diana Stancy

Air Warfare

Air Force divests its few A-29s, explores ‘future options’

A set of three A-29 Super Tucanos are destined for storage after officials at the Air Force Test Pilot School opted against using the turboprops, a spokesperson for Edwards Air Force Base told Breaking Defense.

By Michael Marrow

Naval Warfare

France investing in naval power as military ambition is ‘to be feared’: Armed forces minister

Macron has previously used similar words during his nuclear strategy address in March, when he announced in Brittany an increase in the country’s nuclear warhead stockpile.

By Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo

Latest News

Global

US, Australia and Japan sign trilateral naval logistics agreement

"This arrangement strengthens those commitments and allows us to more easily share information, technologies and processes for greater logistics resiliency," said US Vice Admiral Jeff Jablon.

By Mike Yeo

Air Warfare

SASC version of defense policy bill adds $32B to boost F-35, shipbuilding

Shipbuilding and munitions were the major beneficiaries of the $32.1 billion added to the defense topline, with about $8.5 billion added for shipbuilding and about $6 billion added for munitions, according to a senior congressional official.

By Valerie Insinna

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

Land Warfare

Digitize or die: Ukraine’s war is a wake-up call for 20th century militaries

In this op-ed Ukraine's deputy minister of defense for digital development argues that in modern combat, there's another frontline: the digital battle against bureaucracy.

By Kateryna Chernohorenko

Global

‘What’s the signal?’: One year since ICE Pact, the agreement’s future remains unclear

Former President Joe Biden presented ICE Pact last year as a pathway to compete with Russian and Chinese icebreaker production. President Donald Trump has continued the effort, but with a twist.

By Justin Katz

Congress

Senate NDAA to keep acquisition reform provisions boosting nontraditional defense firms: Official

Sen. Roger Wicker aims to fold the FORGED Act into the NDAA, but with some changes meant to ease the concerns of major defense primes.

By Valerie Insinna

Air Warfare

Hegseth orders military to ‘unleash’ use of small drones in new memo

"While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires," Hegseth wrote.

By Ashley Roque

Air Warfare

Who’s Who in Defense: Dr. Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force

Meink oversees the training, organization and equipping of nearly 680,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian airmen and Guardians, and their families.

By Catherine Macaulay

Networks & Digital Warfare

With demos to begin next year, DARPA’s COFFEE project brews potential leap for spectrum sharing

The program's goal is to isolate or suppress specific signals, which could allow DoD and commercial tech to safely share congested portions of the spectrum.

By Carley Welch

Air Warfare

Belgium plans largest ammunition order, announces early NH90 helicopter retirement

In comments heavily critical of the troubled NH90, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said that Belgium's four TTH standard aircraft will be "decommissioned from September."

By Tim Martin

Global

NATO may be Europe’s best bet for tech at scale

Europe should look to NATO to help scale tech and AI innovations, write Wendy Anderson and Martijn Rasser in this op-ed.

By Martijn Rasser and Wendy R. Anderson

Air Warfare

France and UK pledge new Storm Shadow missile orders, deepen nuclear cooperation

In a first, France and the UK, Europe's only nuclear powers, also signed a declaration today stating that “the respective deterrents of both countries are independent but can be co-ordinated and that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations."

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare