Breaking Defense

Army doubles down on autonomy, stakes out Indo-Pacific role: AUSA Day 2

Avio, Lockheed sign agreement for solid rocket motor production

The deal will pave a path for Avio USA to become a new provider of motors on Lockheed Martin’s Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile.

By Valerie Insinna

Networks & Digital Warfare

Army’s Project Gatekeeper aims to cut software approval times from months to ‘minutes’

The service’s new cybersecurity testing sandbox will stand up on Oct. 23, said acting Army CIO Gabe Chiulli, streamlining the current cumbersome, ad hoc arrangements for clearing commercial software for Army networks.

By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

Global

Democratic midterm gains could speed US military aid to Ukraine, lawmaker says

Polling and prediction markets suggest the midterms could deliver "a fairly massive repudiation of the president," said Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

By Tim Martin

Latest News

All Domain

Emil Michael, former Uber exec, confirmed as undersecretary for research and engineering

In written testimony from March, Michael indicated he would look to review the structure of the R&E office, while pushing to shift a culture he described as “overly risk adverse.”

By Aaron Mehta and Valerie Insinna

Air Warfare

Delaying Navy’s F/A-XX next gen fighter risks US being ‘outmatched’ by China, key lawmaker says

"We cannot wait," Rep. Ken Calvert said. "Further, we cannot expect to grow the defense industrial base by undermining it."

By Justin Katz

In this episode:

Boeing’s victory caps a significant turnaround for its defense business
A report from western Ukraine on technology and life in wartime

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

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

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