Poland weighs joining X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff fighter program
The announcement comes as the Polish government is mulling plans to acquire up to 32 new fighter jets.
US Army’s ‘Tropic Lightning’ Division ponders transformation lessons from Philippine war games
Because of HIMARS, Maj. Gen. Bartholomees pointed out his “division artillery is really what transformed the most.”
Size matters: KNDS pitches long-barreled artillery for 60-kilometer base range
The 155mm howitzer is equipped with a girthy 58 caliber gun tube, about 12% longer than the 52 caliber barrels common in Europe.
Renault teams up with Thales to boost France’s drone production
The carmaker will build Thales’ Toutatis remotely operated loitering munitions at one of its factories, with estimated production of 1,000 units a month.
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Air
Poland weighs joining X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff fighter program
The announcement comes as the Polish government is mulling plans to acquire up to 32 new fighter jets.
Land
US Army’s ‘Tropic Lightning’ Division ponders transformation lessons from Philippine war games
Because of HIMARS, Maj. Gen. Bartholomees pointed out his “division artillery is really what transformed the most.”
Pentagon
Read the 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran
The 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran leaves contentious issues between the countries unresolved.
Congress seeks to limit US Navy vessels built in foreign shipyards
The Senate Armed Services Committee seeks to strip the waiver authority granted to the president to approve offshore ship construction.
Fair winds, INDOPACOM: Pentagon returns command name to US Pacific Command
U.S. Pacific Command was the formation's official name until 2018, when it was changed to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Pentagon
Iran, US agree to halt war and reopen Hormuz
The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.
Only 1 in 4 F-35s is fully mission capable, GAO finds
The F-35’s readiness rates continued to decline through fiscal 2025, with the fleet’s full mission capable rate falling to 25%, according to a GAO report.
US plans major cut to jets, warships for NATO operations in Europe, NYT reports
The United States reportedly plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships it makes available for NATO operations in Europe.
Naval
US, NATO allies to launch scaled-back Baltic Sea drills
Officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment.
Space
US Army astronaut tapped for NASA’s Artemis III mission
The U.S. Army is launching into space again by way of Col. Frank Rubio, who will be part of the 2027 Artemis III mission, NASA announced Tuesday.
VIDEOS
Underwater special forces gear and long-range JDAMs | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.16.26
Defense News Weekly gets a look an emerging underwater gear for special forces operators, and Boeing advances standoff munitions. Plus, defense finance updates.
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Read the 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran
The 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran leaves contentious issues between the countries unresolved.
By Tanya Noury
Poland weighs joining X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff fighter program
The announcement comes as the Polish government is mulling plans to acquire up to 32 new fighter jets.
US Army’s ‘Tropic Lightning’ Division ponders transformation lessons from Philippine war games
Because of HIMARS, Maj. Gen. Bartholomees pointed out his “division artillery is really what transformed the most.”
Size matters: KNDS pitches long-barreled artillery for 60-kilometer base range
The 155mm howitzer is equipped with a girthy 58 caliber gun tube, about 12% longer than the 52 caliber barrels common in Europe.
Renault teams up with Thales to boost France’s drone production
The carmaker will build Thales’ Toutatis remotely operated loitering munitions at one of its factories, with estimated production of 1,000 units a month.
By Gilles Guillaume and Florence Loeve, Reuters
MBDA advances land version of its naval missile as European strike weapon
Europe lacks long-range strike options that provide deterrence by holding Russian assets at risk, a gap that countries are trying to patch.
Rheinmetall pitches shipping container that can spit out swarms of attack drones
One container can hold 18 of the company’s FV-014 munitions, meant to plop out of the container by way of rocket-assisted start.
KNDS proposes mixed French-German tank to replace France’s Leclerc
The French-Germany company plans for an in-house active protection system and the ability to change out the 120mm gun with a 140mm variant.
Ukraine’s demand for tiny drone laser-targeting systems spurs new product launches
Companies rush to miniaturize the technology for marking targets on the battlefield, making it suitable to ride on small unmanned aerial vehicles.
India touts new ballistic missile defense prowess after tests
India aims to joint a small club of countries capable of bringing down incoming missiles with technology made domestically.
By Anjana Pasricha
General Atomics awarded US Army contract for extended-range artillery round
During a test last year, the company's projectile hit targets more than 74 miles away after being fired from an M777 howitzer.
By Eve Sampson
Russian strategic bomber crashes in Siberia during training exercise
The Soviet-era supersonic bomber has most recently been used by Russia for combat missions in Syria and Ukraine.
By Reuters