CEO Jim Taiclet said Lockheed is in “very active” discussions with DoD—potentially reaching the White House—on a “fifth-gen-plus” F-35 that incorporates sixth-generation technologies, targeting “80% of six-gen capability at half the price.” There’s no contract yet, and much would be classified.

He estimated 1,000–1,500 of the ~2,300 remaining F-35s could be delivered in this upgraded configuration, with potential improvements to weapons, stealth coatings, and possibly engines; export limits may apply.

The push comes as Block 4 modernization continues slipping—now expected to finish in 2031 with a reduced scope—following Lockheed’s loss of NGAD to Boeing’s F-47.

The Marine Corps finalized an enterprise license (with CDAO, DIU and ARL) to proliferate Palantir’s AI-enabled Maven Smart System (MSS) across Fleet Marine Force units and the supporting establishment; value wasn’t disclosed.

MSS aggregates data across Service and Joint C2 stacks to present a synchronized battlespace picture and accelerate sensor-to-shooter workflows with automation and AI tools, aiding joint fires and maritime domain awareness.

DoD previously raised the MSS IDIQ ceiling to nearly $1.3B through 2029 to meet “growing demand,” signaling continued scale-up beyond the Marine Corps.

HII and Babcock signed an MoU to integrate HII’s REMUS UUVs with Babcock’s submarine weapon-handling and launch systems for autonomous launch/recovery via torpedo tubes—described as a first within Babcock Mission Systems.

The effort builds on a prior forward-deployed U.S. Navy torpedo-tube UUV launch and expands allied options; Babcock’s systems equip UK, Canada, Australia, Spain, and South Korea submarine fleets.

HII notes >700 REMUS vehicles delivered to 30+ countries (14 NATO members), with >90% still in service, highlighting durability and lifecycle value for acquisition decisions.

The Pentagon announced a $14.2M Presidential Drawdown Authority package to the Lebanese Armed Forces—shaped/demo charges, detonating cord, caps, and more—to patrol, remove UXO, and dismantle Hezbollah weapons caches, supporting the Nov. 2024 cessation of hostilities with Israel.

Lebanese leadership endorsed a plan to disarm armed groups; analysts caution the LAF will require significant resources and manpower amid Hezbollah’s rejection of disarmament.

The move aligns with U.S. priorities to counter Iran-backed groups; experts say international support is critical to any LAF-led disarmament campaign’s success.

A Breaking Defense feature describes Intel’s Liftoff program providing startups secure access to Xeon 6 CPUs and Gaudi 2/3 accelerators plus mentorship—letting firms run and train large models without heavy infrastructure spend.

Example: Kamiwaza used Gaudi 3 resources to advance an AI orchestration engine supporting DHS/CISA use cases, emphasizing “silicon-neutral” deployments and energy-use benchmarks.

Intel cites mutual benefits: startups accelerate products for national-security missions; Intel learns from novel workloads to inform future hardware.

MBDA Unmasks One-Way Effector & Rapid-Strike Missiles At DSEI Read More

‘Missile Tank Destroyer’: Rheinmetall & Lockheed Team On Concept Vehicle Read More

Leidos’ ‘Sea Archer’ USV For Australia Highlights Indo-Pacific Autonomy Push Read More

BAE ‘Herne’ XLAUV Detailed For Long-Endurance Undersea Warfare Read More

Australia’s ‘Ghost Shark’ Autonomous Submarine: What To Know Read More

Apex Raises Series D, Hits Unicorn Valuation Amid Defense Demand Read More