Defense Watch

CCA Operational Experimentation Unit. The U.S. Air Force plans to use Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat as part of an operational experimentation unit for the service’s planned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). […]

Space Experiments. U.S. Space Force’s small launch and targets division at Kirtland AFB, N.M., has awarded an $11.5 million contract under the Orbital Services Program-4 to Alameda, Calif.-based Astra Space […]

Tricky Challenge. Enabling U.S. Navy strike fighter aircraft to carry hypersonic missiles and stow them safely on aircraft carriers may be a knotty technical challenge. Last month, the Navy awarded […]

New USV. Saildrone, the developer of small unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for security, science and environmental missions, last week introduced its 33-foot Voyager mid-size USV, which is designed for near-shore […]

Fighter Fall. The U.S. Air Force’s fiscal 2024 budget request proposes the divestment of 131 fighter aircraft, including 42 A-10s, 57 F-15 C/Ds, and 32 Block 20 F-22 aircraft while […]

Ukraine Aid. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairs of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, respectively, and Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), […]

MDA Has Boost-Phase Intercept? Missile Defense Agency (MDA) director Vice Adm. Jon Hill recently confirmed DoD already has a boost-phase missile defense capability, but would not explain what it entails. […]

Ukraine/Abrams. Doug Bush, the Army’s top acquisition official, reiterated this week the Army is working through plans to get Abrams tanks to Ukraine “as quickly as possible.” Following the U.S.’ […]

Air and Space Forces Symposium. This year’s Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium on March 6-8 in Aurora, Colo., comes as U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles […]

Taiwan Trip. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of new the House Select Committee on China, has urged Congress to address the backlog of Foreign Military Sale cases with Taiwan following […]