2026 U.S. Budget-Defense

By Brian Everstine
Castelion announced Oct. 24 it has received multiple contracts to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic weapon system onto existing U.S. Army and Navy platforms.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Vivienne Machi
When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill after Labor Day, they will be staring down a government shutdown deadline.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Matthew Fulco
The $28.4 billion that defense technology startups raised from venture capital through June puts the sector on track for one of its best years ever.
Marketplace

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Navy officials canceled the service’s high-speed, air-launched, anti-ship missile program but not the goal of a missile that can defeat modern air defenses
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon’s efforts to speed up production of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider might take a hit under a Senate Appropriations Committee proposal.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Sash Tusa
Defunding the Boeing E-7A program would present considerable technical and operational risk for the U.S.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Matthew Fulco
L3Harris is “at an inflection point” following a strong second quarter and the release of the fiscal 2026 budget request, CEO Chris Kubasik said.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
Confirmed details are still scant, but a recent congressional disclosure suggests the U.S. Navy has a powerful new tool coming into existence.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has set up a foreign military sales office amid some international interest in the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The Senate on July 17 voted by unanimous consent to confirm U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein to lead the Trump administration’s Golden Dome for America initiative.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Vivienne Machi
The Senate Armed Services Committee wants to fund two versions of a future space-based data connectivity network as the Pentagon weighs the best option.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Discussions among senior military leaders internationally have taken on a more serious approach, the top U.S. Air Force officer says
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The “tough decision” to cut the U.S. Air Force’s planned E-7A Wedgetail fleet was simply a balancing act for funding, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin says.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
HASC passed its fiscal 2026 defense policy bill, looking to block some key moves in the DOD proposal and raising the fleet size of USAF mobility aircraft.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Vivienne Machi
House lawmakers are directing the Defense Department to formally establish the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT).
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
For years, members of the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet and Growler community had raised the question of adding a ground collision avoidance system (GCAS).
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The U.S. Space Force has taken delivery of the GPS Operating Control System (OCX).
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Craig Caffrey
A slow but steady stream of data has been released on the U.S. FY26 defense budget request, which would represent a substantial hike of 11% in nominal terms.
AWIN Knowledge Center

By Vivienne Machi
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) wants to cancel its Space-based Kill Assessment (SKA) experiment in favor of higher priority Pentagon investment.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) looks to add $30 billion to the Pentagon’s budget, while blocking some aircraft retirements and increasing F-35As.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
For the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Air Force, devoting the time and money to build an effective bunker-buster bomb is challenging.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A House panel has endorsed a DARPA plan to fly a reusable hypersonic aircraft demonstrator for reconnaissance and strike missions.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
DARPA has ended its Liberty Lifter effort to build a full-scale seaplane demonstrator earlier than originally expected,
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The Defense Department’s latest budget plan goes all in on space-based moving-target tracking.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A flat fiscal 2026 budget request combined with a $113 billion reconciliation offers a game-changing opportunity for nontraditional defense contractors.
Budget, Policy & Operations