The former head of the U.S. Defense Department’s research and engineering branch said on June 11 that a sweeping, three-year push to transition decades of experiments with hypersonic vehicles into operational missiles has fallen short of his goal for enabling mass production.

The review will be worked as a part of the Biden Administration’s National Defense Strategy and feed into the integrated deterrence review.

Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Harker has directed the service to defund nuclear sea-launched cruise missile development in fiscal 2023, according to a memo obtained by Aerospace DAILY.

Unlike traditional weapons-firing platforms, most mobility aircraft lack onboard targeting systems. Two new organizations may form at least part of the enterprise needed to make the MC-130s and C-17s credible as weapons platforms. 

The U.S. Air Force and Navy are not cooperating currently on a future nuclear cruise missile despite active development programs by both services, says Gen. Timothy Ray, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command. 

General Atomics plans to provide a midlife upgrade for Italy’s MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

Israel Aerospace Industries and the Australia Missile Corp. are discussing collaboration with the aim of meeting Canberra’s requirement for “sovereign” Australian guided weapons.

The U.S. Navy has decided to acquire stealthy cruise missiles instead of developing a powered version of a long-range glide munition, a spokeswoman said on June 1.