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Policy
Hegseth memo calls for sweeping, open-ended review of Pentagon's legal system
It’s the secretary's latest unusual move toward DOD’s military and civilian lawyers.
Threats
Golden Dome defenders push back on $1.2T cost estimate
Program leader says CBO report based on Trump’s executive order doesn’t reflect current plans.
Defense Systems
In reversal, Hegseth now backs E-7 radar plane
SecDef says previous calls to cancel the program reflected a now-discarded ”divest-to-invest mindset.”
Defense Systems
Golden Dome plan would cost $1.2 trillion, CBO finds
That’s seven times what Trump initially said, and almost double the congressional office’s first estimate.
Defense Systems
Air Force MQ-9 downs aerial targets with cheap air-to-air missiles
The Reaper demo is part of the service’s quest for cost-effective defense against inexpensive drones.
Threats
With launches slated to grow a hundredfold, Space Force seeks more sites, money, people, and AI
Even today’s accelerated pace strains decades-old launch facilities.
Defense Systems
First B-52s to get new engines this year
Critical design review clears Boeing to upgrade two Stratofortresses in bid to keep them flying past 2050.
Defense Systems
Space Force wraps decades-long GPS upgrade—and the next one is on tap
A last-minute rocket swap shows agility in pursuit of faster launches.
Policy
Air Force’s top general: Supplemental funding needed to replace US aircraft lost in Iran
The 2027 budget request was made before dozens of aircraft were destroyed during Epic Fury.
Exclusive
Policy
Meet the 3-star insiders say will be Space Force’s next top leader
Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess is seen as the likely replacement for Gen. Chance Saltzman.
Defense Systems
Navy’s drone refueler notches first flight—but it won’t be on aircraft carriers until 2029
The MQ-25A delay pushes deliveries another two years past the prior reschedule.
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Threats
Space Force picks firms to develop Golden Dome’s space-based interceptors
Defense giants and startups vie to create orbital defenses—even as the program’s czar concedes they may be unaffordable.
Threats
US Navy ordered to ‘shoot and kill’ alleged Iranian mine-laying boats amid ceasefire
Hegseth says U.S. has "all the time in the world" as the number of interdicted vessels grows.
Breaking News
Policy
Navy secretary leaving the Pentagon, ‘effective immediately’
His departure, long rumored, came as the Navy is fighting Iran and rolling out its proposed budget.
Defense Systems
Air Force pushes to fund upgraded refueling systems instead of new tanker development
One former military official fears delays for a tanker replacement could hurt the combat fleet.
Threats
Space Force scrambles to repair workforce as massive budget increase looms
The service is trying to recruit at a record pace even as Pentagon officials insist civilian departures didn't hurt acquisition.
Defense Systems
A-10s escape retirement once again amid continued use in Iran war
The Air Force will extend three squadrons to keep the Warthog flying through 2030.
Defense Systems
Space-based missile defense may cost too much for Golden Dome’s 12-figure spending plan
Czar doesn’t know if the ambitious tech can be affordably produced.
Defense Systems
Air Force presses for space-based radar despite AWACS loss in Iran
The service is down to a handful of E-3 radar aircraft, but is pushing off proposals to fund its replacement.
Policy
Space Force’s 2040 vision: a larger force to contend with larger Chinese, Russian threats
Officials speculate there could be 30,000 US satellites—more than twice as many as today.
