News
Active duty troops headed to the US southern border again
About 1,500 active duty troops will be deployed to the U.S. southern border to assist Homeland Security Department personnel in advance of an expected new wave of migrant crossing attempts later this month, according to officials close to the plan.
US to send Ukraine $300 million in military aid
This is the 37th package of Pentagon stocks to go to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
Fire rages at Russian oil depot; Zelenskyy visits Finland
A massive blaze broke out at an Russian oil depot, local officials said Wednesday, while the Kremlin’s forces used 26 Iranian-made drones in another nighttime attack on Ukraine as the war stretched into its 15th month.
Spike in Russian combat deaths fuels fears of worse carnage to come
The rate at which Russian forces are being killed or wounded in Ukraine has spiked in recent months, according to estimates disclosed by the White House this week, underscoring how ferocious the combat has become and suggesting the carnage could get even worse with Kyiv’s long-planned counteroffensive to retake occupied territory.
Business
US Army says open system requirements clear for next-gen helicopter
Lockheed’s future assault aircraft proposal lacked detail needed to validate its design had an open architecture at sub-system levels, the GAO found.
Anduril unveils software to manage hordes of drones
Anduril Industries debuted software it said simplifies the management of potentially hundreds of drones and robots, freeing up military manpower and other resources to be applied elsewhere.
European space companies launch bid for secure satellite network
A team of space and telecommunications companies from across Europe have joined together to bid on the continent’s next-generation constellation of communication satellites.
Lockheed eyes new F-35 parts deal, but can it handle wartime demands?
By the end of the year, a new and unusual deal for the F-35 fighter?s spare parts could be in place — one that would flip the current supply model on its head.
As USAF considers a blended-wing body tanker, new startup reveals its concept
As the Air Force embarks on what is likely to be a lengthy process of developing the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) to help recapitalize its aerial refueling fleet, the service is placing what Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has described as a “premium on survivability” on future tankers.
UK orders 11 Saab Giraffe 1X air surveillance radars
The new contracts between the two sides build on a series of land based orders signed together since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including “several thousand” Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) systems and Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.
Defense
Air Force prepares to retire U-2 spy planes in 2026
Congress needs to approve the retirement plan, which has run afoul of lawmakers in the past.
Marines want 31 amphibious ships. The Pentagon disagrees. Now what?
Hundreds of Americans trapped in war-torn Sudan last month needed a way out of the country, but the U.S. Marine Corps, the go-to service for such rescues, couldn’t help.
Navy’s mine-hunting package gets green light, ready for use on LCS
The mine countermeasures mission packages replaces the Navy’s legacy Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships, among other platforms.
Veterans
House Republican threatens to cut VA budget over agency’s warnings about budget cuts
House Republicans are floating investigating the Department of Veterans Affairs or cutting its communications budget as they fume about the Biden administration’s messaging on the House GOP’s debt limit proposal.