Pentagon signs deal for up to 25,000 cheap drone-killing rocket kits a year
The framework deal with BAE Systems covers APKWS laser-guidance kits, which turn unguided rockets into precision weapons for about $35,000 a shot.
Defense
US military news and analysis: aircraft, missiles, warships, ground forces, Space Force, the Pentagon budget and the defense industry.
Iran names a new defense minister and warns the US of ‘enormous damage’
Iran’s parliament confirmed arms-industry chief Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister, nearly eight months after his predecessor was killed, as attacks on ships in Hormuz rise.
Japan puts 1,000-km missiles on Yonaguni, 110 km from Taiwan, as Keen Sword begins
About 57,000 Japanese and U.S. troops began Keen Sword 27 as Japan moved its Type-25 missiles onto an island within sight of Taiwan for the first time.
In a first, an F-22 pilot commanded a real drone wingman in flight
An F-22 Raptor pilot sent new orders to an Anduril YFQ-44A Fury over a data link while both flew near Edwards Air Force Base, the Air Force said.
Russia says it downed 1,015 Ukrainian drones as St. Petersburg’s oil terminal burns
Ukraine’s overnight strike hit an oil terminal, a VK data center and power substations around St. Petersburg in one of the war’s largest drone attacks.
Telle Calls Out Army ‘Buzzwords’ as AUSA Opens. Here’s What Else the Army Rolled Out on Day 1
Open architecture is now “non-negotiable,” the M777’s replacement has arrived and the Army wants nearly 12,000 Infantry Squad Vehicles.
Two Blocked Radio Calls and a 75-Foot Margin: What the Army Found in Its DC Midair Collision Probe
“Breakdowns across all layers of conflict management”: The report, finished in May, was released only after months of pressure from families of the 67 people killed.
Trump Says Nidal Hasan’s Firing Squad Execution Won’t Be Livestreamed After All
Victims’ families may watch in person. The Dec. 3 execution at Fort Hood is still on.
The Army Is Heading Into Its Biggest Week of the Year With Two Temps in Charge
No confirmed secretary, no permanent chief and an overhaul whose architects are gone. What it means as AUSA 2026 opens in Washington.
The Pentagon’s Secret Missile Is Finally Coming Out of the Shadows: What to Know About the AIM-260 JATM
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are moving to speed up production of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile. What the weapon is, what the new deal does, and why it matters for US air power.