Missile Defense & Weapons

AeroVironment has unveiled the Locust X3 system as a 20-35-kW higher energy laser.

The U.S. Air Force will soon launch the next “giant leap” in testing for a cruise missile program.

The U.S. Army is refining its approach for the next increment of its short-range air defense system.

China is looking to use directed energy to target multiple satellites simultaneously.

Aviation Week editors discuss the increase in projected Golden Dome costs and what the fiscal 2027 Pentagon budget request may tell us about the umbrella program.

German startup Quantum Systems says it has secured funding for 15,000 interceptor drones for use by the Ukrainian National Guard.

Hypersonix Launch Systems and the UK business of European missile manufacturer MBDA will collaborate on a series of hypersonic weapon development efforts.

The record-high defense top line is intended to grow aircraft fleets, increase munition buys and bolster missile defenses.

The phones are ringing at defense companies from governments urgently seeking more weapons. Often, they are being put on hold.

The U.S. Space Force has awarded a follow-on contract to Kratos to provide ground management and integration services for its forthcoming MEO missile warning and tracking satellite program.

The Defense Department has tapped Rocket Lab to launch its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) rocket 20 times in four years.

A U.S. Lockheed Martin F-35 was forced to make an emergency landing at a Middle East base following a combat mission over Iran on March 19.

London wants to buy more Thales air defense missiles to aid Gulf allies drawn into the Iran war and convened talks with industry to see what more could be done.

Hypersonic test company Stratolaunch plans to develop an air-breathing variant of its rocket-powered Mach 5-plus Talon vehicle.

The U.S. homeland will face a dramatic rise in long-range missile threats over the next 10 years.

The UK government says it is progressing with the development of a new family of long-range, conventionally armed missiles with Germany.

BAE Systems has revealed more details about its new, rapidly developed anti-drone defense software system.

Beyond European exasperation with the Trump administration, there are market realities causing a rupture in Europe’s missile buying habit.

Hensoldt agreed a deal to assure critical radar component supply through 2030—a signal European defense suppliers are bullish about long-term demand.

European defense companies see a pot of gold under missile defense dome developments.

The U.S. Army is weeks away from fielding its first Long Range Hypersonic Weapon battery.

The U.S. Army is finally taking on the procurement in addition to the operational responsibility of the THAAD system from the Missile Defense Agency.

The director of Golden Dome argues that cost estimates predicting huge increases to the program's price tag are fundamentally flawed.

Aviation Week editors Robert Wall and Steve Trimble discuss the evolution and future of laser weapons that are now getting their first battlefield kills.

Elbit Systems' CEO has disclosed that the Israeli defense technology company is working on a helicopter-based high-power laser application.