Recap: Highlights from the US Army’s 2025 conference in Washington
The Army continues to transform, with efforts focused on next-gen weaponry, long-range artillery, unmanned systems and much more.
Unmanned
Pentagon stages first ‘Top Drone’ school for operators to hone skills
Industry and military drone operators flew tethered and untethered first-person drones through a course designed to test endurance and maneuverability.
Key defense policy voice for Senate Democrats won’t seek reelection
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., serves on the armed services committee and was the first-ever woman to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Space Force eyes commercial options for space surveillance mission
The Space Force is looking at ways to integrate commercial capabilities and better partner with international allies on space domain awareness.
Geospatial-intelligence agency aims for more AI resources in 2025
Among NGA's priorities are more funding for AI compute infrastructure and more emphasis on building AI trust and expertise within its workforce.
Space Development Agency delays next launch amid supply chain woes
The agency initially planned to start launching the Tranche 1 satellites in September 2024, but has walked back those plans on several occasions.
Hegseth mandates streamlined software acquisition approach in new memo
Hegseth directed DOD components to use the Software Acquisition Pathway in an effort to speed up the process for fielding software-heavy systems.
Palantir delivers first 2 next-gen targeting systems to Army
The announcement comes nearly one year to the date of the service awarding the firm a $178 million contract to deliver 10 TITAN ground systems.
‘Golden Dome’ success will require national buy-in, official says
Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein said the biggest challenge with President Trump's Golden Dome will be organizational collaboration.
Pentagon touts $80M in DOGE cuts, but public receipts don’t add up
The Pentagon refused to provide a full list of cuts, and publicly available data — including "receipts" listed on DOGE's site — total around $25 million.
Space acquisition hub preparing for impact of Trump’s workforce cuts
The head of the Space Force's acquisition command said workforce cuts are "incredibly challenging," but the command is adjusting to minimize the impact.
