F/A-XX Slow And Steady. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle last Tuesday told reporters that while it seems like the Navy and Defense Department have delayed the down-select for the service’s F/A-XX sixth generation fighter, he argued leadership is “taking a step back to make sure we do this most effectively. And so I want to be a good partner in that, because I don’t want to rush to failure here. And so I want to make sure that I’m supporting the request for information and how we’re thinking through how to land this most effectively.”
…The Why. The fiscal 2026 defense appropriations law directed almost a billion dollars to the Navy in order to make an expedited Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract amid reports the Trump administration is delaying F/A-XX decisions in order to focus on the Air Force’s F-47 first. Caudle reiterated DoD’s concern is that the selected vendor can actually deliver F/A-XX, it can be integrated onto existing work that is ongoing, and that the decision is not done prematurely “before we set the performance criteria necessary for it to be successful.” He said Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg “very much” wants the Navy to effectively deliver on the program. Caudle also confirmed a down-select is still in the works. Boeing and Northrop Grumman are reportedly the finalists.
Jobs Openings Galore. The U.S. defense industry has more than 800,000 job openings currently and that number will grow to four million over the next decade, Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, said at the Hudson Institute last week. He later said this information came from Census and Labor Department data.
…Lamentations. Cadenazzi cited reporting by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that in 2024 no Army vehicles met readiness targets, F-35 fighter deliveries were late by 238 days on average, and there was no accountability for 90 percent of ammunition produced for the Army. A read through of GAO defense reports shows “weapons and programs and readiness, almost all of it is worse over the past 10 years,” he said. On top of that, China “dominates global manufacturing” and has “probably 200 more times greater shipbuilding capacity” than the U.S., he added. “This is really, really bad,” Cadenazzi said. “We need some radically different outcomes, and that means we need some radically different approaches.”
…Optimism Prevails. Cadenazzi also said he has “the best job at the Pentagon” and there is broad support for strengthening the defense industrial base. The “industrial base is at the center of the discussion from the White House on down,” he said. “I found the bipartisan support for industrial base initiatives to be incredibly gratifying, that a time when there’s a lot of contention here in the beltway, everyone is really interested in fixing the numerous problems that exist, and they believe and are contributing and working together to solve those problems in the most effective way.”
Regulatory Help. To help put the Defense Department and the industrial base on a wartime footing, DoD Acquisition Chief Michael Duffey last week asked defense industry and acquisition stakeholders for suggestions change the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense FAR Supplement. Duffey wants changes that enable increasing production capacity, fielding and modernizing systems faster than adversaries, and putting the acquisition system and industry an a wartime footing. “This is a pivotal moment to offer your ideas,” he wrote in the Feb. 10 letter that was posted by DoD on Feb. 13.
DAF Joint Fires Network. Last week, Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) portfolio acquisition executive for command, control, communications and battle management, established up an integrated program office for the Joint Forces Network, a prototype that is to be “a revolutionary warfighting network that enables the joint force to realize the advantages of speed and unity of command” through the fusion of “high-quality targeting data with cutting-edge command and control applications,” according to the DAF. “JFN delivers data to warfighters when and where they need it…This network outperforms legacy networks by aligning fires tasks into an object-based common data layer, providing a common operating picture for the Joint Force.”
Shipbuilding with AI. Unmanned surface vessel developer and manufacturer Saronic is collaborating with Path Robotics, a provider of artificial intelligence-enabled welding systems, to integrate the welding cells into its Franklin, La., shipyard with a goal to improve “production efficiency, quality and repeatability,” the startup boat builder said last week. Saronic is investing in “software-led” shipbuilding to accelerate the production of autonomous ships. This week, Navy shipbuilder HII will sign a memorandum of understanding at Path’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. HII did not say what the MoU will lead to.
ChatGPT. The Pentagon on Feb. 9 announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate its ChatGPT platform into the department’s new generative AI platform, GenAI.mil. “This partnership will make OpenAI’s advanced large language models readily available to all 3 million department personnel. ChatGPT will be made available to enhance mission execution and readiness, delivering reliable capabilities to the joint force,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “Integrating ChatGPT into GenAI.mil marks another critical step in making frontier AI capabilities the standard for daily operations.”
Investment Rounds. Stoke Space, a developer of medium-lift reusable launch vehicles, last week said it has extended its Series D round to $860 million from the $510 million announced in October 2025. The initial Series D funds were for completing activation of the company’s Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., and to expand production capacity for its Nova Launch vehicle. The additional investment is to accelerate its product roadmap.
…U.S. Expansion. Israel’s Tenna Systems has raised $13.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to accelerate its expansion in the U.S. defense market. Tenna’s products are used to precisely locate radio frequency interference giving users “actionable threat warnings” and improving the resiliency of defense platforms without requiring more hardware, the company said. The seed round was led by Costanoa.
Radar Production. Amid increasing global demand for counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), radar manufacturer Echodyne is investing $40 million in an 86,350 square foot facility in Washington to produce and ship more than 30,000 radars annually, the company said last week. Echodyne said demand for its metamaterials electronically scanned array radars is being driven by demand for C-UAS, beyond visual line of sight operations for drone-as-first-responders, force protection, border security, and on-the-move applications.
Lamprey Costs. Lockheed Martin spent about $10 million in internal company funds to build its initial 25-foot Lamprey Multi Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, Director of Program Management Mark Johnson, told Defense Daily during the WEST 2026 conference in San Diego. The company is pitching the unmanned undersea vehicle to the Navy for various missions (Defense Daily, Feb. 9). The Lamprey can attach to the underside of a submarine or surface vessel to hitch a ride, greatly extending its range and movement to its theater of operations. This first vehicle was built in West Palm Beach, Fla., but if it gets orders from the Navy, the company will evaluate production across its national facilities. The $10 million cost would likely change due to numbers ordered and vessel sizes that range up to 35 feet long. The company did not share speed, range and endurance values due to competitive pressures. The vehicle will be demonstrated over the next two years and “we do have ideas of what’s going to go in there and have demonstrations planned this year to go show that,” Johnson added.
Drone JV. Germany’s Wingcopter drone company and Ukraine’s TAF Industries, which has said that it builds more than 80,000 drones monthly, on Feb. 13 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a joint venture (JV) at the Munich Security Conference. The venture “is designed to strengthen the resilience of critical defence production for Ukraine, ensure continuity of supply under wartime conditions, and diversify industrial risks by expanding manufacturing capacity into a safer and more resilient industrial environment in Germany,” the companies said. “At the same time, it establishes a long-term framework for German–Ukrainian industrial cooperation in defense technologies that are already proven in real combat conditions. This partnership will be formed under the ‘Build with Ukraine’ framework.” Under the JV, TAF Industries said that it “will provide licensed designs and operational expertise for its reconnaissance UAV systems that have been extensively used in real operational environments,” while “Wingcopter will contribute industrial infrastructure, manufacturing expertise, and engineering capabilities to enable rapid scaling of production in Germany.”
AUKUS Program Head. U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Douglas Adams assumed leadership of the AUKUS Integration and Acquisition (I&A) Direct Reporting Program Management Office on Feb. 9, succeeding Rear Adm. Richard Seif, who was confirmed to the rank of Vice Admiral and will assume command of Submarine Force Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command in Norfolk, Va. While Adams takes on the new role, he will also retain his position as Program Executive Officer for Undersea Warfare Systems, which he took on in May 2024. The AUKUS office is responsible for executing the trilateral partnership to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines.
People News. Peraton has named Bob Genter as president and chief operating officer, effective Feb. 17. Most recently Genter was president of the $4.8 billion Defense and Civilian Sector at Science Applications International Corp. He will report to Peraton Chairman and CEO Steve Schorer. Retired Navy Admiral and former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Christopher Grady has been elected to Northrop Grumman’s board effective Feb. 12.
Sling Tests. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Israel’s Missile Defense Organization last week said they had completed successfully completed a series of tests of the David’s Sling interceptor that is designed to defeat rockets, missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. The tests were based on lessons learned from combat in Gaza the past two years and included scenarios of current and future threats. “The successful tests represent an additional technological and operational breakthrough in upgrading the system, which has already demonstrated high performance capabilities during the war with successful interceptions that saved lives and prevented substantial damage,” the two agencies said.
Hypersonic Test Ahead. Rocket Lab last week said it will soon launch its suborbital HASTE testbed vehicle to deploy the DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft developed by Australia’s Hyersonix for a mission sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit. HASTE will launch no earlier than late February from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Va. DART is a 3D-printed, single-use, hydrogen-fueled scramjet technology demonstrator.
Tranche 3 Components. Teledyne Technologies has begun production of infrared focal plane modules under multiple contracts in support of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer program, the company said last week. The infrared sensors, which are used for missile warning and tracking on the Tracking Layer satellites, have been upgraded in line with SDA’s spiral development model, Teledyne said. The company has been partnered with SDA on the previous Tranche 0, 1 and 2 portions of the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
DSCA Shift. The Pentagon said on Feb. 10 it has officially realigned the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA) to the department’s acquisition office. The DSCA oversees the Foreign Military Sales office and was previously under the purview of the Pentagon’s policy office. As part of the department’s acquisition reform plan rolled out last fall, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the realignment was intended to help increase the pace of weapons sales to international partners. “The realignment establishes a clear and unambiguous line of authority, creating a single enterprise to oversee the execution of defense sales from initial acquisition to final production and delivery,” the Pentagon said. The move also follows the recent release of President Donald Trump’s America First Arms Transfer Strategy to bolster the international arms sales process.
Marine Corps Audit. The Marine Corps confirmed on Feb. 9 it passed its financial audit for fiscal year 2025, achieving the mark for the third year in a row and remaining the only service to receive a clean opinion in recent years. “This repeat achievement reinforces the service’s reputation for accountability, discipline, and leadership. The first and only service to achieve a clean, unmodified audit opinion, the Marine Corps continues to lead department-wide efforts toward effective financial management and delivering accountability to the American taxpayer,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
…New Audit Act. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced a bipartisan bill on Feb. 12 aimed at addressing the Pentagon’s financial accountability after the department confirmed in December it had failed a full audit for the eighth consecutive year. The Audit the Pentagon Act would administer a half percent cut to the budget of any Pentagon office that doesn’t achieve a clean opinion with the next audit results. That penalty would rise to a one percent cut in subsequent years. The lawmakers note the bill exempts funding for personnel, families and military healthcare from these cuts. “The Audit the Pentagon Act will create a powerful incentive for the Department to get its fiscal house in order, or otherwise face funding reductions. The Pentagon has a history of little accountability while pouring billions into weapons systems that just don’t work properly, and it’s past time they be held accountable for this irresponsible stewardship of taxpayer funds,” Pocan said.
Reverse Engineering. The Defense Department last week said it has awarded $1.8 million to the Kansas-based Great Plains Innovation Network (GPIN) for reverse engineering of obsolescent defense-critical parts missing technical data packages. The funding from the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program will enable “updated engineering documentation for manufacturability and low-rate initial production opportunities for at least three prototypes of critical obsolescent assemblies,” DoD said. The GPIN will train interns and non-traditional defense contractors on how to generate technical data packages for parts and components, resulting in more opportunities for more performers across the industrial base, it said.
Another BlackSky Award. BlackSky Technology has received another seven-figure contract in support on international defense customer with assured access to its Gen-2 and Gen-3 electro-optical satellite imagery and artificial intelligence-based analytics services over the country’s priority areas of interest. “BlackSky’s dynamic monitoring services have become an essential and routine part of our customers’ daily workflow, providing unprecedented visibility into critical maritime zones, border areas and infrastructure at mission speed,” Brian O’Toole, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. The follows another award announced by BlackSky recently with a new international defense customer for imagery services (Defense Daily, Feb. 6).
Transatlantic Software Partners. Second Front Systems, whose Game Warden platform speeds the accreditation process of commercial software for use by defense and intelligence agencies, has partnered with Britain’s Valerian to expand its presence in the United Kingdom and Europe. Valerian’s digital infrastructure platform gives its government customers control and security of their data. “Modern operations demand more than updated software, they demand controlled environments,” Enrique Oti, Second Front’s chief strategy officer, said in a statement. “Partnering with Valerian allows us to extend those guarantees into sovereign contexts in the U.K., EU, and beyond, enabling customers to deploy complex software stacks without external dependency.”
Editor’s Note: Defense Daily will not publish on Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents Day. The next issue will be published on Feb. 17
