Editorial Team

U.S. Navy’s SM-6 Missile Line at Risk Without Reconciliation Bill Funding

U.S. Navy’s SM-6 Missile Line at Risk Without Reconciliation Bill Funding

The U.S. Navy built its Fiscal Year 2026 weapons plan around one assumption. Congress will pass a one-time reconciliation bill that adds billions to the base defense budget. Inside that bill sits most of the money for 139 Standard Missile-6 interceptors. The service’s own accounts cover only ten rounds. Navy comptrollers describe those ten as “placeholders,” not a viable production lot.

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European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine

European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine

Safran Helicopter Engines, MTU Aero Engines, and Avio Aero have sealed a fresh cooperation accord that lays the groundwork for the European Next Generation Helicopter Engine program, widely known as ENGHE. Signed in Paris on 29 June 2025, the deal frames an equal-share development model that draws on the three firms’ complementary strengths. Each partner will handle roughly one-third of the design load and will rely on its own national industrial base, keeping the supply chain inside Europe and trimming reliance on non-European parts.

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General Dynamics Electric Boat Secures $1.85 B Navy Contract for Virginia-Class Block VI Submarine Prep

General Dynamics Electric Boat Secures $1.85 B Navy Contract for Virginia-Class Block VI Submarine Prep

According to industry sources, the U.S. Navy has added up to $1.85 billion to its multiyear Virginia-class attack-submarine contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat. The money covers early construction work and the purchase of long-lead components for the forthcoming Block VI boats. Defense officials confirm that $1.68 billion is obligated immediately from fiscal-year 2025 shipbuilding funds, while the balance becomes available once specific technical milestones close.

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House Appropriations Committee Proposes Flat 2 Billion FY26 Defense Budget Ahead of Pentagon Request

House Appropriations Committee Proposes Flat $832 Billion FY26 Defense Budget Ahead of Pentagon Request

The House Appropriations Committee circulated its full fiscal 2026 defense draft late on 28 June, two days before the Pentagon is expected to send over its own request. The text assigns $832 billion in discretionary authority, matching last year’s enacted figure and staying under the current spending cap. Senior committee aides state the panel relied on the continuing-resolution baseline while it waited for a complete budget package from the administration. Defense officials confirm the bill will serve as the chamber’s opening position when conference talks begin this autumn.

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E-7 Wedgetail Scrapped by Air Force Over Cost Overruns and Vulnerability Risks

E-7 Wedgetail Scrapped by Air Force Over Cost Overruns and Vulnerability Risks

The U.S. Air Force has decided to halt the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early-warning and control program, ending a three-year effort to replace the aging E-3 Sentry fleet with a more modern, radar-equipped 737 derivative. Defense officials disclosed the move during the FY-26 budget rollout, noting that expected unit cost had climbed from about $588 million to roughly $724 million and that the aircraft lacked the resilience needed in a highly contested battlespace.

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Why DARPA Cancelled Its DRACO Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Project

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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Sierra Space Opens M Power Station Tech Center in Colorado to Scale Defense Solar Production

Sierra Space Opens $45M Power Station Tech Center in Colorado to Scale Defense Solar Production

Sierra Space has placed its new “Power Station” technology center into full production. The site, located in Broomfield, Colorado, brings automated solar-array manufacturing under one roof. According to industry sources, the company finished factory acceptance tests early yesterday and shifted directly into contract work for defense satellites. The company invested $45 million to fit the 70,000-square-foot building with clean rooms, thermal-vacuum chambers, and vibration rigs.

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