Diego Ramos, Author at defense-aerospace

Why DARPA Cancelled Its DRACO Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Project

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has closed the books on its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations program. Defense officials confirm the termination order went out late Monday. The move ends a five-year push to field a nuclear-thermal upper stage able to sprint between Earth and the Moon. According to industry sources, the agency pulled remaining funds into other space access lines once it judged the return on investment had vanished.

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FY 2026 Request: Space Force Seeks 7M for MILNET and Pauses Tranche 3 Transport Layer

FY 2026 Request: Space Force Seeks $277M for MILNET and Pauses Tranche 3 Transport Layer

The Space Force wants $277 million next year to launch the Military Internet (MILNET) constellation and has frozen money for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer. Defense officials confirm the shift appears in the service’s fiscal 2026 budget books, released on June 26.

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MDA Awards $429M Contract to i3 for Advanced Missile Defense Data Evaluation

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) signed a new deal on 10 June 2025. It is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $429 million with Integration Innovation Inc. (i3). The Huntsville firm must collect missile-test data, check its quality, and turn the results into clear reports for program leaders.

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The F-35 Fighter Jet, The World’s Costliest Weapons Program, Just Got More Expensive

The Pentagon just raised the F-35 bill again. Numbers inside its fresh acquisition report point to $438 billion for development plus production. Last year they put the figure at $412 billion. Now planners must live with extra $26 billion—they said inflation and stretched schedules forced the jump.

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Northrop Grumman Adding Mobile Targets to B-2 Bomber Capabilities

The B-2 Spirit edges into a new era. Air Force engineers push the bomber toward a fresh role—striking vehicles that refuse to sit still. The project looks dry on paper, yet it shifts how commanders think about fast raids. Crews on the flight line watch small changes pile up; each tweak nudges the jet away from its 1990s roots.

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R-168: The Russian Military Radio That’s Not So Russian

Moscow sells the R-168 as proof its army can talk under fire without outside help. Documents and captured sets prove many key chips ship in from abroad. That clash between message and material defines its whole tale.

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Australian Chinook Helicopter Refuels Abrams Tanks

The Army pushed a dusty run at Townsville this week, hooking a Chinook’s fuel lines straight into three Abrams. Blades kept spinning, hoses hissed, and heavy armor rolled off topped up. Roads in those scrub ridges stay rough, so air-pump beats truck every time trucks bog.

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All Issues Pertaining to Serviceability of MiG-29K Sorted Out – Indian Navy

The Indian Navy has fought hard to keep its carrier aviation alive after retiring the Sea Harrier. MiG-29K fighters now fill that hole on INS Vikramaditya and the soon-to-sail INS Vikrant. Admiral Sunil Lanba told reporters on the eve of Navy Day that the spares drought and maintenance snags dogging the fleet are “behind us for good.” He stressed that every outstanding invoice with Russian suppliers has a clear payment path despite U.S. sanctions.

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Lockheed F-16V, Saab Gripen Compete for Slovakian Order

Slovakia has reached the point of decision after more than a decade of debate over its MiG-29 replacement. Formal offers now sit on the defence minister’s desk from two camps: Lockheed Martin with the F-16V Block 70/72 and Sweden’s Saab with the Gripen C/D. The ministry aims to brief the cabinet by 29 June and secure approval before Parliament rises for its summer recess.

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