DefenseNews

France to boost munitions spending by nearly $10 billion through 2030

PARIS — France plans to spend an additional €8.5 billion (U.S.$9.8 billion) to buy munitions through to 2030, with the return of high-intensity warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine showing a need for more mass, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament on Wednesday. The country plans to set up a platform called France Munitions that will serve as an ammunition wholesaler for the…
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DefenseNews

US legislative failures are giving China a strategic edge, Anduril exec says

Trae Stephens, co-founder of defense technology firm Anduril Industries, sharply criticized American lawmakers on Tuesday, warning that congressional dysfunction and Silicon Valley arrogance were handing China a strategic opening in the race for military and technological supremacy. Speaking at the Hill and Valley Forum in Washington, Stephens told hundreds of executives and policymakers that the…
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DefenseNews

US Army to demo first crew-free Black Hawk

The Army has taken a step toward pilot-optional flight, receiving its first Black Hawk helicopter equipped with autonomy systems that allow it to fly without a human crew. The service received the aircraft, designated H-60Mx, and said the Black Hawk variant will begin rigorous testing of its ability to operate with a reduced crew or autonomously. According to a March 20 Army release, the…
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DefenseNews

Patriot missile involved in Bahrain blast likely US-operated, analysis finds

An American-operated Patriot air defense battery likely fired the interceptor missile involved in a pre-dawn explosion that injured dozens of civilians and tore through homes in U.S.-ally Bahrain 10 days into the war on Iran, according to an analysis by academic researchers examined by Reuters. Both Bahrain and Washington have blamed an Iranian drone attack for the March 9 blast, which the Gulf…
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