Breaking Defense

Latest News

Global

Space Force should offer European allies protection from anti-satellite attacks: Saltzman

“The destruction of a satellite may not have that same public effect as a missile attack into a civilian population, but from a military standpoint, you’ve still definitely created an act of war,” said Gen. Chance Saltzman.

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare

For its own long-term security, US must support a more autonomous European defense

Analyst Joshua Huminski argues the US should push Europe to become more independent in the defense space, even at the expense of American defense contractors and American influence on the continent more generally.

By Joshua Huminski

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

Air Warfare

‘An absolute folly’: UK lawmakers’ scathing report on E-7 Wedgetail acquisition

Though the UK will get three planes instead of five, the procurement report estimates that the E-7 program will cost $2.5 billion, only marginally less costly than the $2.7 billion agreed in the original order.

By Tim Martin

Air Warfare

UK reducing New Medium Helicopter buy to 25-35 aircraft: Airbus exec

“We haven’t seen training requirements and there’s a whole plethora of different chapters that are yet to come, but the MoD has been as good as they can be in drip feeding us information," said Lenny Brown, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters UK

By Tim Martin

Global

UK defense minister Ben Wallace to step down later this year

Wallace has led the British defense ministry since July 2019.

By Aaron Mehta

Air Warfare

UK official sees ‘unique’ partnership chances for next-gen fighter

“I think it’s a richness of our collective response that we are able to develop what might appear on the surface to be competitive solutions, whether that’s F-35, NGAD, the Franco German cooperation, or our program," said Richard Berthon, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Director of Future Combat Air.

By Andrew White

Air Warfare

As Russia intercepts another US drone over Syria, official warns ‘triumvirate’ with Iran to force US out

“My assessment, and we have some evidence to support this, is that as Russia and Iran have pulled themselves closer together, that there is interest on both sides to push us out of Syria, to put a pressure campaign on us to have us leave,” a senior defense official said today.

By Michael Marrow

Air Warfare

Military planes should be built with quantum technology in mind: UK official

The leap to quantum tech will be a "tank versus cavalry, machine guns versus humans moment,” said UK’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey.

By Andrew White

Global

NATO Vilnius Summit could have been historic. Instead, it mostly kicked the can down the road.

Author John Deni argues that at the NATO Summit, "there was little significant movement on several key issues, leaving much on the table for the alliance’s 75th birthday summit next year in Washington, DC."

By John Deni

Congress

There goes my missile: SDA eyes new FOO Fighter missile defense ‘fire control’ sats

The new "Fire-Control On Orbit-Support-To-The-War Fighter (FOO Fighter or F2)" program "will accelerate the ability to provide new fire control options for the tactical users," an SDA spokesperson told Breaking Defense. But how does it play with MDA programs?

By Theresa Hitchens

Air Warfare

House narrowly passes defense policy bill 219-210, setting up clashes with Senate Dems

Conservative lawmakers successfully added numerous riders into the final legislation on Thursday and Friday, sinking most Democratic support.

By Justin Katz

Air Warfare

After use in combat, Rafael looks to future for Spike FireFly loitering munition

The Spike FireFly could now be put into wider use in Israel, according to reports.

By Seth J. Frantzman

Air Warfare

From cargo to cockpit: A KC-46A crew’s thoughts about the plane’s potential tanker rival

Speaking to Breaking Defense fresh off a tour of a French MRTT, a KC-46A Pegasus pilot and boom operator discussed some of the pros and cons between the plane that's the basis for Lockheed's LMXT and their own Pegasus tanker.

By Michael Marrow

Breaking Defense

Latest News

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

Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy: A New Era in Defense

Pentagon Buzz News Video