📬 In Today’s Defense Brief
🛰️ Space Force Budget Shrinks Again Despite Golden Dome Priorities LINK
🧠 Lockheed’s ‘AI Fight Club’ Puts Emerging Tech to the National Security Test LINK
🛫 Army Upgrading Helicopter Pilot Training and Aircraft Under Flight School XXI LINK
👨💼 Michael Duffey Confirmed as Pentagon’s Chief Weapons Buyer LINK
🚀 Space Force Awards $1.2B Deal to BAE for Missile Tracking Satellites LINK
🎱 Plus 11 other news stories you may like
📰 Full Breakdown
🛰️ Space Force Budget Shrinks Again Despite Golden Dome Priorities LINK
The Space Force’s 2026 budget proposal includes another round of cuts, despite ongoing priorities like the Golden Dome missile defense system.
Critics argue the shrinking budget undermines long-term capability planning.
Top officials say focus remains on optimizing tech investments with limited resources.
🧠 Lockheed’s ‘AI Fight Club’ Puts Emerging Tech to the National Security Test LINK
Lockheed Martin’s experimental “AI Fight Club” is simulating wartime challenges to benchmark artificial intelligence capabilities.
The competition-style event is part of a broader push to ensure AI systems can respond accurately and quickly in real-time combat scenarios.
Early participants include government, academic, and private sector teams.
🛫 Army Upgrading Helicopter Pilot Training and Aircraft Under Flight School XXI LINK
The U.S. Army is overhauling its pilot training program to better align with future threats and technologies.
The Flight School XXI update includes new aircraft procurement and immersive training environments.
Efforts aim to improve readiness and retention amid global demands on Army aviation.
👨💼 Michael Duffey Confirmed as Pentagon’s Chief Weapons Buyer LINK
The Senate has confirmed Michael Duffey as the Department of Defense’s next Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment.
Duffey will oversee the Pentagon’s massive weapons procurement portfolio, including modernization and supply chain efforts.
He is widely viewed as a defense budget hawk with deep Capitol Hill experience.
🚀 Space Force Awards $1.2B Deal to BAE for Missile Tracking Satellites LINK
The Space Force awarded BAE Systems a $1.2 billion contract to build next-generation missile warning and tracking satellites.
These sensors are designed to detect hypersonic and ballistic missile launches in near real-time.
The award is part of broader efforts to upgrade U.S. space-based missile defense.
🌏 Other Important News
DoD Announces FY26 Acquisition Fellowship Application Window LINK
EC, BAE, Leonardo Form New Defense Tech Consortium LINK
Oshkosh Defense Renamed to ‘Transport Segment’ Amid Leadership Change LINK
Trump Taps JSOC Commander, Navy SEAL, to Lead SOCOM LINK
Jacobs Wins $4B Space Force Contract for Range Operations LINK
GE, Kratos Expand Partnership to Target Lower-End CCA Engines LINK
Senior Special Ops Leader Highlights AI’s Usefulness Beyond Battlefield LINK
Pentagon Finalizes $967M Contract for Virginia-Class Submarine Parts LINK
SECNAV Tasked with Renaming USNS Harvey Milk LINK
Navy Inks $1.1B Deal with RTX for AIM-9X Sidewinder Production LINK
GE Aerospace Advances Hypersonic Propulsion Tech LINK
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