Defense Editor Steve Trimble looks at how a reliable defense against a hypersonic glide vehicle might look. The Missile Defense Agency is already working on adapting existing interceptors such as the SM-6 and SM-3 for the mission, but we now know that's just the beginning. We will explore the weapons, sensors and command and control systems that will be required in the long-term to defeat one of the fastest and elusive weapons yet invented.

The Pentagon on Aug. 19 announced its latest $775 million batch of military aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia, including for the first time 15 Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle long-endurance uncrewed aircraft systems.

Lockheed Martin will deliver the first Dark Eagle missiles with live warheads even as engineers continue to finalize the design.

The Land GBAD program calls for the creation of a “fully integrated air defense system of systems.”

U.S. Air Force and Navy crews launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile early Aug. 16 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in the first test since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. Defense Department’s Inspector General has launched an evaluation of the ability of the U.S. Army and Navy’s shared hypersonic programs to meet schedule goals for development and fielding.

DARPA plans a proposer’s day event on Aug. 16 for a 42-month effort to design and demonstrate the new long-range missile concept. 

China is flexing military muscle in the Taiwan Strait in response to a U.S. congressional visit, showcasing possible invasion scenarios.