DefenseNews

Pentagon turns to AI targeting to help troops shoot drones

The Department of Defense is looking for AI-enhanced target recognition to help troops, vehicles and ships destroy drones. The C-UAS Close-In Kinetic Defeat Enhancement project focuses on aided target recognition, or AiTR. This uses concepts such as AI, machine learning and computer vision to create a system that can detect threats — and distinguish them from non-threats such as birds —…
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DefenseNews

Here’s what’s behind the US Army’s $2.1B R&D funding increase

Within the U.S. Army’s $253 billion budget request is a proposal to boost research and development spending by 12.9%. While officials say that extra $2.1 billion will allow the Army to “keep a technological advantage,” congressional leaders have expressed concern that it could come at the expense of accountability. During the Army’s congressional budget hearing, Rep. Betty McCollum…
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DefenseNews

German defense minister laments long-range strike ‘gap’ caused by planned US drawdown

VIENNA — Germany’s ambitions to close a long-range strike capability gap are facing a fresh setback after the Trump administration moved to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from German soil and effectively shelved a Biden-era plan to temporarily deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 missiles there. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, speaking Monday in Munster, Germany, after a major…
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DefenseNews

Israel to buy more F-35 and F-15 warplanes

JERUSALEM — The Israeli government’s ministerial committee for acquisitions has approved the parallel purchase of two new squadrons: a fourth squadron of F-35I fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and a second squadron of F-15IA fighters manufactured by Boeing…
DefenseNews

Interview: Gen. Ronald Clark, US Army Pacific commander

CLARK, Philippines — “In the big scheme of things, our highest duty is to deter,” Gen. Ronald Clark, commander of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), says. “For those of us that have served in conflict and served in combat, that’s really what it’s about – deterring war. The best way to do that is to be ready.” This helps explain why Exercise Balikatan 2026, held in the Philippines from…
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