A crew chief at the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals an F-35A Lightning II aircraft during a sortie generation exercise at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida, Dec. 3, 2025. U.S. Air National Guard / Tech. Sgt. Marissa Welker
2025 in review: business
Industry raced to adapt to intensifying pressure to move faster, win work on Golden Dome and other efforts.
Space Force's intelligence ‘marketplace’ gets funds to expand
Military units post requests to TacSRT’s webpage, and industry competes to answer them.
April 10, 2025 | Audrey Decker
A closer look at the Chinese space company accused of helping the Houthis
The ostensibly private Chang Guang Satellite Technology emerged from and benefited from state funding.
May 7, 2025 | Matt Bruzzese and Peter W. Singer
Lockheed has cleared backlog of stored F-35s
The company had 72 jets stacked up due to software delays.
July 15, 2025 | Audrey Decker
Microsoft ends use of China-based engineers to patch DOD systems
The move comes after a ProPublica report highlighted a Microsoft program that allows foreign engineers to indirectly interact with U.S. military systems through American “escort” intermediaries.
July 20, 2025 | David DiMolfetta
Anduril becomes third US supplier of rocket motors, company says
Annual production will grow to 6,000 motors by the end of next year, they say.
August 5, 2025 | Audrey Decker
The jets were late. Lockheed got on-time bonuses anyway
After nearly 20 years of F-35 production, the program continues to “overpromise and underdeliver,” GAO said.
September 3, 2025 | Audrey Decker
Silicon Valley in St. Louis?
With the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency as its north star, a non-profit is working to get defense tech to put down roots in the Midwest.
October 1, 2025 | Lauren C. Williams
Draft list of attendees for Hegseth acquisition-reform speech shows wide industry interest
The guest list for the Pentagon’s new policy roll-out reveals the rapidly changing face of defense tech.
November 5, 2025 | Patrick Tucker
Unveiling acquisition overhaul, Hegseth tells industry to get with the program
One expert said the reforms would sweep away Cold War processes—and draw backlash from established primes.
November 7, 2025 | Lauren C. Williams
Can partner nations help solve the Navy’s shipbuilding woes?
On a trip through the Pacific, the chief of naval operations sought ways to get more warships faster.
November 24, 2025 | Jennifer Hlad
Gargantuan Golden Dome contract vehicle clears 1,000-plus firms to vie for slices of $151 billion
One defense expert said it was one of the largest contract ceilings of all time.
December 3, 2025 | Thomas Novelly