Business
New strategy aims to get 80% of Navy ships deployable
To meet that goal, the service needs to speed up maintenance.
Policy
Money alone won’t fix the Navy’s shipbuilding woes, lawmaker says
Correcting submarine program deficits will require creative thinking about workforce challenges, not just more money, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said.
Business
Blue Origin’s rocket reaches orbit on first flight, promising competition for SpaceX
Maiden flight brings reusable heavy-lift New Glenn closer to launching U.S. military and spy satellites.
Policy
Trump taps NRO official as Air Force secretary
The move emphasizes the next administration's pro-space agenda.
Exclusive
Business
Shield AI to train Ukrainians on jam-resistant drones
Deal aims to give a new dimension to the world’s “premier tactical drone operating military,” company president says in interview.
Science & Tech
Pentagon to test how generative AI would perform in fight with China
Can ChatGPT-like programs help the U.S. win a war in the Pacific?
Threats
Disparaged, discontinued...and indispensable? Littoral combat ships take on real-world ops
The battle-tested LCS has moved past its reliability problems, surface-forces leaders said.
Policy
Reported Trump ‘loyalty tests’ for national-security officials draw criticism
If career employees are removed from the National Security Council, they would return to their home agencies, but the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has expressed concern.
Threats
Funding gaps slowing down Marine Corps’ modernization efforts
Force Design 2030 is on track, commandant says, but just barely.
Business
Air Force delays T-7 production but expects accelerated initial operational capability
The service said today that it would “incentivize” Boeing to address “emergent issues” for the trainer program.
Business
Bigger, higher, cheaper: Space startup looks beyond LEO
The Pentagon’s former space policy chief joins LA-based K2 Space.
Defense Systems
Navy looking for solutions to power, outfit new destroyer
Weapons options include 5-inch guns and lasers, surface warfare director says.
Policy
‘I know what I don’t know,’ SecDef pick says at confirmation hearing
Hegseth faced questions about his inexperience and fitness as a leader.
Business
Navy shipbuilder plans expansion to boost submarine production
The goal is to improve cost and throughput by going “where the labor is,” said Huntington Ingalls Industries’ CEO Christopher Kastner.
Science & Tech
Outgoing Air Force secretary floats options for 6th-gen jet program
Frank Kendall offers a vision for his department’s future—though NGAD’s fate will be up to the Trump team.
Science & Tech
