DefenseNews

Defense Innovation Unit eyes first flight of hypersonic testbed

WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit expects to fly an experimental hypersonic cruise vehicle as early as next summer in support of the Pentagon’s drive to boost its flight-test cadence. The agency, which aims to push technology from non-traditional and commercial companies to military users, awarded a contract in March through its Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities…
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DefenseNews

Air Force general set to lead Missile Defense Agency

WASHINGTON — Air Force Maj. Gen. Heath Collins will pin on a third star and become the Missile Defense Agency’s next director, according to the Pentagon’s general officer announcement on May 31. Collins will replace Vice Adm. Jon Hill, who has served as director since 2019. The Air Force general is currently the MDA’s program executive officer for Ground-Based Weapons Systems at Redstone…
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DefenseNews

US Army may ask defense industry to disclose AI algorithms

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Army officials are considering asking companies to give them an inside look at the artificial intelligence algorithms they use to better understand their provenance and potential cybersecurity weak spots. The nascent AI “bill of materials” effort…
DefenseNews

Spanish Navy to receive first Naval Strike Missiles in 2027

MILAN — Spanish officials have confirmed that missile maker Kongsberg will begin deliveries of its fifth-generation Naval Strike Missiles, set to equip the Spanish Navy’s F-100 and F-110 frigates, in 2027, three years prior to the planned retirement of the fleet’s…
DefenseNews

Auditors: Over 1 million F-35 spare parts lost by DoD and Lockheed

WASHINGTON — More than 1 million F-35 spare parts worth at least $85 million have gone missing over at least the last five years, according to a new Government Accountability Office report criticizing the program’s supply tracking. Auditors said that because the government doesn’t have its own system tracking those parts, officials may not truly know how many spare parts are actually in the…
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DefenseNews

Army eliminates AeroVironment from future tactical UAS competition

WASHINGTON — AeroVironment, an early provider of Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems to the U.S. Army, has been eliminated from the service’s competition for the next increment of the system. The Army has long been working to select a Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System, meant to replace its Shadow UAS fleet. In 2022, after a roughly four-year competition, the service awarded…
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