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.
Swedish Air Force crafting new fighter strategy amid Russian aggression, NATO ascension
Due in November, the strategy will inform what capabilities will replace the older-model fighters that the service plans to begin in retiring in 2035.
Boeing applying lessons learned from Air Force One contract, defense CEO says
"If we learned something that didn’t work out this way, we’ll take a different approach going forward," said Boeing Defense CEO Ted Colbert.
‘Space is where we need to go’: US Air Force preparing networked infrastructure for new mission
The two services have been conducting reviews and meeting with industry over the last year to define their distinct roles in providing tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and develop a plan for a space-based ground moving target indicator capability.
US Air Force looking to Europe for commercial technologies, official says
The Air Force's acquisition executive said today that in order to make fast progress on its "operational imperatives," the service must take advantage of mature technology developed by industry and the scientific community through organizations like the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit.
US Air Force mulls skipping tanker competition as confidence in Boeing’s KC-46 builds
“There’s been a huge sea change in the last year" in the KC-46's capabilities, Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said at RIAT.
Pentagon goes public to fill Defense Innovation Unit post amid pressure from Congress
The Pentagon’s technology shop posted a job opening this week for a new Defense Innovation Unit director, an unusual move for such a high-level position.
Britain’s Royal Air Force chief says drone swarms ready to crack enemy defenses
The conundrum of overcoming enemy air defenses is currently on display in Ukraine, where Ukrainian and Russian air-defense capabilities are effectively canceling out the other side's air power arsenal.
Lockheed nabs $59 million order for Stryker cyber, electronic warfare suite
Officials have said the Terrestrial Layer System-Brigade Combat Team program will help defeat threats on an increasingly digital battlefield.
Lockheed hypersonic weapon moves to next phase after US Air Force test success
The July 12 test marks the end of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon's booster test phase and paves the way for all-up-round testing later this year.
