AFA’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference kicks off
From unmanned fighter jets to scale-model satellites, here are some of the sights from around the expo floor at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center.
Space Force has ‘space control weapons’ on orbit, Air Force secretary reveals
Troy Meink didn't elaborate on what "weapons" the US deployed, but revealed new info on other space and unmanned Air Force programs.
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Island surge: the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control in action
Lightning Surge exercises are turning soldier feedback on NGC2 into operational software changes in days, not years.
General Atomics unveils ‘Wildfire’ drone to replace Reaper
Pitched for the Massed Modular Aircraft program run by the Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit, General Atomics says its new drone design can exceed requirements set by the Pentagon to succeed the MQ-9A Reaper.
Italy orders 2 new MQ-9As Reapers, as US seeks newer options
Rome previously ordered a handful of Reapers, but lost one of the drones in Libya in 2019, and another one was destroyed in March during an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.
After ‘concerning’ losses, Air Force pushes to replace Reaper faster
“There's no doubt if we try and pursue the exact same approach that we had with things like the MQ-9, we're going to get something that costs about the same as an MQ-9,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi.
Army taps 5 vendors to move forward with nuclear microreactor prototypes
Up to $2.2 billion could be distributed among the handful of vendors.
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In the age of drones, a bigger fence around your facility doesn’t protect you anymore
Traditional thinking about how to protect facilities must adapt to new threats such as drones or downstream attacks.
Air Force plans downselect for second CCA batch next year
A separate competition to replace the MQ-9A Reaper is expected to kick off a concept refinement stage early in the next fiscal year, according to an Air Force official.
The sights of the Farnborough Airshow Day 2
More aircraft from day 2 of the Farnborough International Airshow.
General Atomics-ASI CEO throws shade at cost target for new drone
“I believe they put a silly goal in here for a low end [cost],” Dave Alexander told Breaking Defense. “Anybody that bids that number is very suspicious.”
In first, Air Force fires live shot off CCA wingman drone
“It wasn’t just an AMRAAM that came off,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told Breaking Defense. “It was tracking the target.”
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DIU seeks cheaper drones to carry out Reaper missions
The notice comes after nearly 30 Reapers were reportedly lost in combat against Iran.
Air Force picks General Atomics, Anduril to build first CCA drone wingmen
Anduril, Shield AI and Collins have been tapped to develop the autonomy system for the collaborative combat aircraft.
Drone wingmen face off at Berlin Air Show in race for German CCA
Several full-sized CCA aircraft or models are on display here, with company officials eager to talk up the latest updates.
General Atomics CCA drone returns to flight
Air Force Col. Timothy Helfrich said the response to the drone’s April 6 crash “validates our approach to accept acquisition/test risk instead of operational risk allowing us to accelerate the program towards fielding.”