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Magazine Issue

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, September 15, 2026

VOL. 299 NO. 53 September 15, 2026

Daily Briefs

Daily Briefs
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Daily Briefs

Sep 15, 2026
BOEING gets $13.4b ceiling increase for KC-46... HONEYWELL AEROSPACE announces F-35 initiatives... AGILIS AIR announces early funding round...

In Brief

Briefs logo
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In Brief: The Week Ahead In Aerospace & Defense

Sep 15, 2026
The Week Ahead In Aerospace & Defense

The VC-25B Bridge aircraft is teaching the Air Force how to operate the 747-8i ahead of accepting two new VC-25Bs. Credit: U.S. Air Force
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USAF Set To Power On New Air Force One Ahead Of First Flight

Sep 14, 2026
The U.S. Air Force expects to power on the first new Air Force One this calendar year ahead of first flight next year.
U.S. Navy
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Northrop Grumman Out Of SNC-Led Team For U.S. Navy Jet Trainer

Sep 14, 2026
Northrop Grumman has dropped out of its partnership to help build the U.S. Navy’s next-generation jet trainer as it awaits a decision by the service.
mars reconnaissance orbiter
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Rocket Lab Protests NASA’s Mars Telecom Award To Blue Origin

Sep 14, 2026
Rocket Lab is challenging NASA’s award of the Mars Telecommunications Network program to Blue Origin, arguing the agency’s source selection was faulty.
FQ-44A. Credit: U.S. Air Force
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USAF Secretary Lays Out Aggressive Goals For Autonomous Aircraft

Sep 14, 2026
The U.S. Air Force has set a goal to field 1,000 new autonomous aircraft by 2032 along with tens of thousands of low-cost, long-range munitions.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink speaks Sept. 14, 2026 at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Credit: Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association
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U.S. Has Space Weapons On Orbit Now, Air Force Secretary Says

Sep 14, 2026
The U.S. has weapons in space, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced Sept. 14, without disclosing whether they are kinetic or non-kinetic.
MDA Space
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MDA Plans Midnight RPO Demonstration

Sep 14, 2026
MDA Space is planning to demonstrate its Midnight rendezvous and proximity operations satellite capability in a company-backed effort.
Lockheed Martin rendering
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Skunk Works Details Vectis Design, Plans More Prototypes

Sep 14, 2026
Lockheed Martin now plans to build five prototypes of its Skunk Works-designed Vectis Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Gamera
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Startup Swarm Aero Shows How It Doesn’t Fear The Reaper

Sep 14, 2026
Swarm Aero unveiled the Gamera UAS on the opening day of the Air, Space and Cyber conference, revealing the product of a nearly five-year, largely secret effort to offer the U.S. Air Force a replacement for the MQ-9A Reaper.
Golden Dome Director Gen. Michael Guetlein speaks Sept. 14, 2026, at the Air & Space Force Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Credit: Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association
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Golden Dome Czar Sees AI Role To Speed Up Decision-Making

Sep 14, 2026
As the Golden Dome’s command-and-control system takes form, senior U.S. military leaders see a key role for artificial intelligence.
Zhaslan Madiyev Credit: Primeminister.kz
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Kazakhstan To Deploy Earth Observation Constellation By 2030

Sep 14, 2026
Kazakhstan plans to deploy an international Earth observation satellite constellation by 2030.s
Leidos
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AFSOC Tests Cruise Missiles In Recent Combat Operation

Sep 14, 2026
U.S. Air Force special operators confirmed on Sept. 14 that a new low-cost cruise missile launched from a Lockheed Martin AC-130J met operational requirements during a recent test.
satellogic satellite module
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Satellogic Expands ONR Work, Readies New Satellite Capabilities

Sep 14, 2026
Satellogic has signed an agreement to expand the Earth-imaging work it does for the U.S. Office of Naval Research, adding six satellites for maritime surveillance.
cessna 408 skycourier
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Textron Teams With Merlin For Autonomous SkyCourier Concept

Sep 14, 2026
Textron and Merlin announced an autonomous Cessna SkyCourier concept to fulfill the military's requirement for airlifters capable of operating in contested airspace.

The Debrief

rocket motor test firing
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Debrief: Is The Solid Rocket Motor Market In A Permanent Crisis?

Sep 14, 2026
The race to plug the gap in solid rocket motor production has been evolving, with the finish line moving farther and farther away and new questions emerging.

Contracts