No longer ‘experimental’: Navy to deploy drone boats this year, official says
A Navy official said he expects by 2045 for nearly half of all naval surface vessels to be unmanned.
First Trump-class battleship could cost over $20 billion: CBO
Follow on ships could cost anywhere from $9 billion to $13 billion per vessel if orders begin today, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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How TAK gives the US military an advantage at the Edge
“Tactical operating system” for warfighters has evolved to provide more situational awareness of the battlefield.
US reveals seizure of purported anti-submarine mission trainers en route to China
The Department of Justice alleges the equipment was made and shipped contrary to export law, but the South African company involved maintains it did nothing wrong.
DIU offers $100M in prizes for voice-controlled AI-enabled drone swarm ‘orchestrator’
Instead of needing a specially trained human to remote pilot each drone or robot-boat, the Pentagon wants any servicemember to be able to give orders in plain English.
Coast Guard sets deadline to spend $25B in reconciliation funds by 2027
“If we're just sitting on the accounts, and we're waiting on the requirements, we're figuring things out, it's not going to change the service to be the service that America needs," said Sean Plankey, senior advisor on the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security secretary.
Navy chief calls for defense spending to hit ‘new normal’ of 4% GDP
“We need to make a dent into that,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said of the Navy's 355-ship requirement. “I think the chairman, and I think the secretary of Navy and the secretary of War agree that that the Navy needs a budget commensurate with its mission set.”
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
In a first, Turkey’s Desan expands with overseas shipyard in Malaysia
"Given the short timeframe in which this goal was achieved, it represents a significant success for Ankara and is poised to revolutionize its defense ties with these [Southeast Asian] nations," defense analyst Ali Bakir told Breaking Defense.
Choices for next destroyer paved way for Navy’s new battleship program
“I did not expect to be told to build a battleship when I got this job, and I will tell you, I'm extremely excited about it,” said Rear Adm. Derek Trinque, the Navy's director of surface warfare.
Trump takes aim at major defense firms, demands faster production
What's gotten Trump so mad at the defense industry? Find out on The Weekly Break Out.
US shipbuilder HII expands UK unmanned maritime vehicle support facility
Since 2001, the UK Ministry of Defence has procured REMUS 100, REMUS 300 and REMUS 600 vehicles for mine countermeasure missions.
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Keeping sensitive information safe in a new AI era
Why edge and endpoint security can’t be an afterthought.
Lockheed boasts record 191 F-35 deliveries in 2025
The delivery total greatly exceeds a previous record of 142, boosted by a backlog of undelivered jets that had to be held in storage.
Northrop, Kratos team picked for Marine Corps drone wingmen
Northrop Grumman will serve as the prime contractor and integrate mission systems on Kratos’s XQ-58 Valkyrie for the Marine Corps’s MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Service acquisition leaders: Why this time will be different for defense acquisition
In this exclusive op-ed, four of the Pentagon's top acquisition officers send a message to their workforce: Accountability isn't punishment, it's liberation.
The year that was and the year that will be, according to our reporters
2025 was a year of change, both for the defense community and for Breaking Defense. Let's catch you up.