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Air Force

BAE Systems To Develop 300 Prototypes For AGR-20F Upgrades Against Drone Swarms

Frank Wolfe

Friday, February 20th, 2026

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BAE Systems To Develop 300 Prototypes For AGR-20F Upgrades Against Drone Swarms

Pictured is a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with AGR-20F Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II laser-guided rockets (Photo on Air Force 96th Test Wing Website)

In response to a U.S. Central Command and Air Forces Central Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) in August 2024, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) armament directorate at Eglin AFB, Fla., has awarded BAE Systems a $145 million contract to mature a Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) seeker system to Technology Readiness Level 7 and build 300 prototypes to put in the nose of Air Force F-16 fighters and Navy MH-60 helicopters to test with the company's AGR-20F Fixed-wing Air-Launched…

Senators Push Navy Against Single Destroyer Request In FY ’27

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the two senators from Maine last week pushed back on Navy officials for only requesting one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) […]

Navy Looks To Eventually Assemble Battleship At HII Newport News; Faces More Dem Opposition

The Navy told lawmakers this week it found a dry dock at HII’s [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard it thinks can use for final assembly of the new Trump-class battleship […]

Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections

The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]

Army

Senate Defense Appropriators See ‘Risk’ With Army’s Reconciliation Plan To Fund Munitions Increase

The Senate’s top defense appropriators cited concern this week with the Army’s request to fund the majority of its large increase to munitions procurement in fiscal year 2027 through the […]