Breaking Defense

Space Force slates $1.8B for commercial sats to replace GSSAP neighborhood watch birds

Israel to ramp up production of Arrow interceptors

The announcement came before the US and Iran came to what has turned out to be a shaky ceasefire, one that didn't restrain Israel from striking targets in Lebanon.

By Seth J. Frantzman

Global

UK accuses Russia of covert submarine operation threatening undersea cables

Together with allies, the UK tracked “every mile” of the deployment involving an Akula-class and a pair of Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI) surveillance submarines, according to British defense secretary John Healey.

By Tim Martin

Naval Warfare

Navy selects Leidos, Defense Unicorns to test software prototypes for ships

Leidos and Defense Unicorns will test prototypes in a lab-based environment under the other transaction agreement.

By Mark Pomerleau

Latest News

Air Warfare

‘Significant action’: US, with UK, strikes ‘a number of’ Houthi targets in Yemen

"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes," President Joe Biden said.

By Lee Ferran

Global

Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey join forces for Black Sea mine countermeasures coalition

Todor Tagarev, Bulgaria’s minister of defence, directly tied the establishment of the new MCM task force to Russian actions in the Black Sea, amid Moscow’s continued blockade of maritime traffic in the area.

By Tim Martin

In this episode:

Details of the $1.5 trillion defense budget request, and a key lawmaker’s take on the F-35

Global

Pentagon watchdog raps ‘delinquent’ tracking of over $1B in high-tech weapons to Ukraine

The Defense Department Inspector General report sampled inventories for enhanced end-use monitoring-designated systems, from Stingers to night-vision goggles.

By Lee Ferran

Land Warfare

Army identifying which programs will implement new data architecture

The service is also currently developing a risk management framework for Project Linchpin, the Army’s first program of record to help build out a trusted artificial intelligence/machine learning pipeline, according to Jen Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software.

By Jaspreet Gill

Pentagon

DoD’s first industrial strategy seeks to bolster weapons production ‘speed and scale’

"The current and future strategic environment requires immediate, comprehensive, and decisive action in strengthening and modernizing our defense industrial base ecosystem to ensure the security of the United States and our allies and partners. As this strategy makes clear, we must act now," Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks writes in a forward to the new National Defense Industrial Strategy.

By Theresa Hitchens

Naval Warfare

‘It’s hard’: Navy needs to be realistic about laser weapons, admiral says

There's no lack of excitement in the Navy about the idea of an operational laser on a ship underway, but the service must be more "intellectually honest" about what's possible, Rear Adm. Fred Pyle said at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium.

By Justin Katz

Naval Warfare

Navy taps first 4 destroyers for initial upgrades to radar, EW, combat system

Capt. Tim Moore, whose office is charged with overseeing the modernization, said the Navy plans to use a "crawl phase" to install most of the upgrades and test them before working on the rest of the destroyer fleet.

By Justin Katz

Announcement

Breaking Defense announces Breaking Defense Europe, a new, distinct, European edition

Breaking Defense Europe will launch May 4 with Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo as co-editors.

By Breaking Defense

Air Warfare

Lockheed Martin delivers first pair of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets to Slovakia

Slovakia is set to become the first European operator of the Block 70-configured jets, initially agreeing to a 14 aircraft order for €1.58 billion ($1.8 billion) in December 2018.

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare

Now that DoD picked first set of Replicator capabilities, next step is ‘acceleration pathways’

“Each of the services nominated capabilities for consideration in the selection process, based on a warfighter-centric set of criteria,” a Pentagon spokesman told Breaking Defense.

By Jaspreet Gill

Air Warfare

Despite Iraqi PM’s call, US troops won’t likely leave Iraq anytime soon: Analysts

Days after the US killed a suspected militant leader in Baghdad, Iraq's prime minister called for a "quick" timeline for US and coalition forces to leave.

By Agnes Helou

Naval Warfare

Navy’s new top admiral calls for ‘more players on the field’ in first major speech

Addressing a crowd of Navy sailors, officers and industry at the Surface Navy Association's annual event, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti emphasized a clear focus for the fleet: warfighting.

By Justin Katz

Global

‘Important step’: US, China resume military-to-military policy talks after comms freeze

For months Beijing boycotted military discussions, raising fears at the Pentagon that a miscommunication could lead to conflict.

By Michael Marrow

Networks & Digital Warfare

DoD hoping to build international cooperation on responsible AI, autonomy

“I think that there’s a recognition that the sorts of norms we’re trying to promote are things that all countries should be able to get behind,” Pentagon emerging capabilities official Michael Horowitz said.

By Jaspreet Gill

Naval Warfare

After last year’s warning shot, Navy admiral credits industry for stepping up

US Fleet Forces chief Adm. Daryl Caudle said meetings with industry executives led to smoothing out the processes for certain production lines.

By Justin Katz

Featured:

Space Force slates $1.8B for commercial sats to replace GSSAP neighborhood watch birds

Israel to ramp up production of Arrow interceptors

UK accuses Russia of covert submarine operation threatening undersea cables

Navy selects Leidos, Defense Unicorns to test software prototypes for ships

Latest News

‘Significant action’: US, with UK, strikes ‘a number of’ Houthi targets in Yemen

Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey join forces for Black Sea mine countermeasures coalition

Details of the $1.5 trillion defense budget request, and a key lawmaker’s take on the F-35

Pentagon watchdog raps ‘delinquent’ tracking of over $1B in high-tech weapons to Ukraine

Army identifying which programs will implement new data architecture

DoD’s first industrial strategy seeks to bolster weapons production ‘speed and scale’

Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy: A New Era in Defense

AFCENT awards Kraus Hamdani $270M for solar-powered, long-endurance drones

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’

‘It’s hard’: Navy needs to be realistic about laser weapons, admiral says

Navy taps first 4 destroyers for initial upgrades to radar, EW, combat system

Breaking Defense announces Breaking Defense Europe, a new, distinct, European edition

Lockheed Martin delivers first pair of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets to Slovakia

Now that DoD picked first set of Replicator capabilities, next step is ‘acceleration pathways’

Despite Iraqi PM’s call, US troops won’t likely leave Iraq anytime soon: Analysts

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

Navy’s new top admiral calls for ‘more players on the field’ in first major speech

‘Important step’: US, China resume military-to-military policy talks after comms freeze

DoD hoping to build international cooperation on responsible AI, autonomy

After last year’s warning shot, Navy admiral credits industry for stepping up