Air Force considers loosening Air Force One requirements to hit 2027 delivery
A separate Boeing project to integrate a new radar on the B-52 Stratofortress bomber has also suffered a cost breach, said Air Force official Darlene Costello.
Space Force doubles down on acquisition reform ahead of DoD moves
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy walked through activities to flesh out former space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli's "nine space acquisition tenets" that showcased how the Space Force is positioned to meet expected guidance from new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for accelerating weapons system development.
10 Breaking Defense op-eds that defined 2025
It's been a whirlwind of a year — and the defense establishment has plenty of thoughts on how it's unfolded and what might come next.
Air Force to add back over a dozen MH-139 helos in FY26, averting ‘critical’ cost breach
The service is partially reversing course on a planned cut of 38 aircraft, and plans to add back in 14 Grey Wolf helicopters in its upcoming budget request for a fleet size of “at least” 56.
‘No alternatives’: Pentagon doubles down as new Sentinel ICBM’s cost jumps to $141 billion
The Air Force revealed today that it has embarked on a restructuring of the troubled but critical long-range missile program, which is now expected to cost 81 percent more than initially estimated.
Air Force declares ‘critical’ Nunn-McCurdy cost breach for MH-139A Grey Wolf helo
The cost breach is driven by the service’s plan to cut the buy of the helicopter in half, not by any cost overrun in the program itself.
The Sentinel ICBM remains affordable – because context matters
Adam Lowther and Curtis McGiffin argue in this op-ed that added context is needed before deciding that the Sentinel ICBM is too expensive.
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Keeping sensitive information safe in a new AI era
Why edge and endpoint security can’t be an afterthought.
‘We will have to find the money’: After cost breach, Air Force doubles down on Sentinel ICBM
Air Force Lt. Gen. Rick Moore also spoke favorably of investing in "surge" capacity for things like munitions production, though he said the idea may not be popular outside the Air Force.
Pentagon declares second Nunn-McCurdy cost breach for F-15 electronic warfare kit
A decision to slash procurement of the kits contributed to a 39 percent cost growth over a baseline estimate, causing a “significant” breach.
Despite cuts, HH-60W and F-15EX not at risk of ‘critical’ budgetary breach, cancellation
The Air Force announced major cuts for both programs as part of the fiscal 2023 budget release.
Space Force plans launch this week for final SBIRS missile warning sat
Assuming the Thursday launch goes as planned, the last of the satellites, SBIRS GEO-6, is expected to be up and running by "late spring, early summer" next year, according to Maj. Matt Blystone.
Air Force cyber resilience in focus
Cyber resilience has become a frontline mission for the US military. Breaking Defense’s new eBook rounds up key reporting from the 2025 Alamo ACE conference with the latest developments in cyber offense and defense.
New Nunn-McCurdy cost breach in Navy’s latest LCS misstep
The cost breach is one in a series of public missteps the Navy has had in recent years with the Littoral Combat Ships and the associated mission packages.
Raytheon Gets OK, $378M To Replace Risky OCX Hardware
"Raytheon has been executing as planned, giving us confidence in OCX’s ability to transition into operations,” Lt. Gen. John Thompson, SMC commander, said today.
Raytheon’s OCX, As Expected, Gets OSD Nod
WASHINGTON: There was little doubt that the hack- and jam-proof GPS ground stations known as OCX would be resurrected after incurring a Nunn-McCurdy breach. Even though it was the most screwed up program in the Air Force, was behind schedule and had gone grossly over budget, OCX is a crucial program at an important time. America needs […]
HASC Mulls Nunn-McCurdys For Operations & Support Costs
CAPITOL HILL: Nunn-McCurdy notifications to Congress of gross cost growth in a weapons system’s costs strike fear in the hearts of top Pentagon acquisition officials, and something like them may become law for a new set of costs — operations and support. “They should be the next frontier for acquisition reform,” former DoD Comptroller Bob […]