Why manufacturing critical defense technologies in the US is the linchpin to national security
Breaking Defense visits production lines for made-in-America circuit boards, displays, and missile components.
Transatlantic political turbulence could disrupt orders from European customers for US defense equipment over the long term, but if the last year is anything to go by, business is likely to be relatively predictable.
Increased focus on defense is one of five pillars in a new French national space strategy announced by President Emmanuel Macron today.
BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Thales said they would work collaboratively to design a tri-national command system as a "shared solution for Australia and the UK which builds on General Dynamics' existing AN/BYG-1 system" used by the US.
"Project Bromo is a sovereignty play," Caleb Henry, research director at Quilty Space, told Breaking Defense.
Stakes in the joint entity, planned to be operational from 2027 once regulatory approval is secured, are split with Airbus retaining a majority of 35 percent, while Leonardo and Thales will each be allocated 32.5 percent stakes.
The solicitation for fiscal 2026 through 2033 will be to “design the Future X-Band Radar (FXR), and to build, integrate, and test FXR Engineering Development Models (EDMs) and deliver multiple low-rate initial production (LRIP) units,” according to a Navy notice.
The JV is forecast to earn revenue worth NOK 3 billion through the end of the decade based on “substantial market opportunities and product synergies.”
On the stand during the Paris Air Show, a KNDS staffer explained that this round explodes before it hits anything, releasing dozens of tungsten sub-projectiles over a wide area,
A top Thales scientist walked Breaking Defense through a series of futuristic technologies the company hopes will provide cutting-edge capabilities as they mature.
Mustin served in the US Navy for 34 years and retired in September 2024.