WARSAW, Poland — Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has signed a deal to purchase an undisclosed number of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones for the Polish Armed Forces. The new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be part of the military’s new component to be launched next month, the Drone Force.
“A few months ago, I declared the creation of the Drone Force which is now becoming a…
Defense firms follow Lithuania’s allure of making ammo sans red tape
December 18, 2024
MILAN — Lithuania’s offer to lower administrative hurdles for foreign defense companies seeking to set up shop in the Baltic state has found several takers in major Western defense manufacturers.
The response comes after the Lithuanian government approved new legal…
Nearly half of the amphibious warfare ships Marines need to deploy often are unavailable due to maintenance, according to a government watchdog. How the Navy currently manages those repairs means jarheads will continue to deploy late to the fight.
The Dec. 3 Government…
Military pauses Osprey flights again after near crash
December 11, 2024
The Pentagon is temporarily pausing flights again of its fleet of V-22 Ospreys after weakened metal components possibly played a role in another near crash, the latest setback for an embattled aircraft whose safety problems have grown.
The pause was recommended last week “out of an abundance of caution” by Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, the head of Naval Air Systems Command, which runs the Osprey…
Defense tech firms establish AI-focused consortium
December 11, 2024
Palantir and Anduril, two leading defense technology firms, announced today they’re creating an industry consortium to address what they see as hurtles impeding the Defense Department’s adoption of AI.
“Our goal is to deliver the technological infrastructure, from the…
Drones spotted near 3 bases used by US Air Force in England
November 26, 2024
LONDON — The U.S. Air Force says a number of small drones were detected last week around three bases in eastern England that are used by American forces.
The drones were spotted between Wednesday and Friday near RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell. They were…
Air Force awards Boeing $2.4 billion contract for KC-46 tankers
November 26, 2024
The Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.4 billion contract Thursday to buy 15 more KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers.
The KC-46 award, which covers the tankers’ 11th lot, will bring the number Boeing has on contract to 168 worldwide, the company said in a release.
Boeing has delivered 89 KC-46s to the Air Force since 2019, as well as another four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Israel is buying…
Pentagon, Lockheed reach handshake deal for next F-35s
November 26, 2024
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have reached a handshake agreement for two more lots of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
The initial agreement will cover production of lots 18 and 19 of the stealth fighter’s air vehicle, Lockheed and the F-35 Joint Program Office said in a…
Marine Corps F-35C notches first overseas combat strike
November 22, 2024
Marines recently carried out the service’s first combat strikes using the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter during air missions against Houthi targets near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Launching from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 9 and 10, the…
US Army fires Precision Strike Missile in salvo shot for first time
November 21, 2024
In a first, the U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin fired two new Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSMs, in a salvo test shot as part of production qualification flight testing at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Lockheed announced.
The testing proved PrSM’s capability to be fired one after another from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, launcher, per Army doctrine that…
