mark
Defense Breaking
[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 1:09pm
The F-16 remains a frontline fighter for the US and a primary combat plane for many others. It can be overmatched, however, when it comes to electronic warfare. At AFA, Breaking Defense spoke with Northrop Grummans Shalini Gupta about EW modernization that keeps the F-16 relevant and survivable.

[Category: Air Warfare, Sponsored Post, AFA 2026 Perspective Northrop Grumman, Air Force, electronic warfare (EW), EW, f-16, Northrop Grumman, Perspectives, Presented by Northrop Grumman, Sponsored Content]

[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 12:30pm
WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move, the Defense Department has agreed to give SpaceX exclusive access to the governments most classified space tracking data, according to a dozen government and industry sources. One of the sources, a Space Force official, told Breaking Defense a contractual agreement has been signed between SpaceX and the Space Forces Joint Commercial Operations Cell (JCO), trading company access to US Space Commands (SPACECOM) most detailed version of its High Accuracy Catalog (HAC) of on-orbit objects in exchange for SpaceX giving the JCO data from its Stargaze star-tracking cameras. Its unclear when the arrangement began, but in recent days it has sparked concern in the US space tracking industry, sources said. Even though the Space Force official said the high-fidelity information has been provided to SpaceX only for internal use, industry and government sources told Breaking Defense it is not clear whether that data is permitted to play a background role in honing the accuracy of products and analysis SpaceX provides to non-military space operators — potentially undercutting the market. Barbara Golf, head of JCO, referred a question from Breaking Defense to Space Force Space Systems Command, which oversees JCO acquisition. Neither the Space Force nor SpaceX responded to multiple inquiries about the deal. Jon Herman, SpaceX senior director for Starlink constellation engineering, was asked directly about the purported deal, the datas value to the company, and its terms of use during a panel at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference in Hawaii last week. In response, he did not address the deal specifically, but explained why the data is helpful. SpaceXs Starlink satellites, he said, are bad at seeing the small stuff, and therefore radar data is an extremely valuable tool to supplement Stargaze. The Purpose Of Stargazing Star trackers like those used by Stargaze can provide valuable capabilities as they are used to determine a spacecrafts orientation in three-dimensional space (known as attitude), and are especially important for precisely aiming on-board cameras and intersatellite laser links. But they also can be used to detect and characterize satellites and space debris, meaning Stargaze, even if its free tracking service is based only on the observations of its own cameras, is at a minimum a market perturbator. Stargaze currently uses about 30,000 star-tracking cameras mounted on Starlink satellites — SpaceXs broadband communications network — to keep tabs on the heavens in low Earth orbit (LEO), according to Herman. We detect objects that are down to about a meter/half a meter in size, which means that we can see more than 80 percent of the Space Force catalog that is below 600 kilometers (about 373 miles), he told the AMOS conference on Sept. 17. Most current military and commercial radar and telescopes based on the ground, meanwhile, can see and routinely track objects down to about 10 centimeters in LEO. But while Stargazes resolution is not as good for small things as that offered by other providers of LEO space tracking information, Herman said the advantage is in the fact that the cameras can take tens to hundreds of pictures of an object in a given period of time — which allows better tracking over time of an objects orbital path. The star-tracker observations are entered into a database that catalogs objects seen, and then processed to create a picture of what is in space where and when. For SpaceX, this allows it to keep its roughly 11,000 Starlink and Starshield satellites safe from collisions. That Stargaze catalog of space objects itself is not shared publicly, or with other operators who agree to share the whereabouts of their own satellites in exchange for services, Herman said. Rather, he said, those participating operators will receive products and services, such as information about potential collisions — known in space industry parlance as conjunctions — derived from it. The way this works is you send us your [emphemeris], and then we screen you against every Starlink trajectory as well as the entire Stargate catalog, he said. Youll see all these scary things that we see in Stargaze. There are about 100 operators currently onboarded with Stargaze, Herman added. For JCO, access to the Stargaze tracking data could improve the fidelity of fused commercial space surveillance data available via the Unified Data Library. Competitors Wary SPACECOM specialists are responsible for monitoring the heavens, with particular eye toward adversary satellites. They also are responsible at the moment for providing warnings of close approaches and possible collisions to all satellite operators. They do this by generating three types of space object database reports, each with a varying level of accuracy, for plotting the trajectories of on-orbit objects, according to public information and industry sources. The catalogs use observational data about satellites and space debris gleaned by the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) of radars and telescopes around the world, but are created using different methodologies. The public version, contained on the Space-Track.org website with explanatory information accessible to anyone, includes what are known as two-line elements (TLEs) showing a snapshot of a space objects position and velocity at a certain time. How often those snapshots are provided various from object to object, and this is the least precise of the three report types. A second version is called the Special Perturbations-High Accuracy Catalog (SP-HAC), which uses a higher fidelity mathematical model to predict a space objects trajectory. It is not public, but industry officials explained that access is provided to those companies and foreign governments that sign a sharing agreement with SPACECOM. SPACECOM also bases the Conjunction Data Messages it provides for free to US and foreign satellite operators warning them of potential close approaches to other space objects on the SP-HAC, according to explanatory information on the Space-Track.org website. The third and most precise version of the HAC is embodied in what are called Vector Covariance Messages (VCMs), industry sources said, which in addition to being based on SP-HACs high-fidelity mathematical model also include volumetric margin of error bubbles, called covariances, that allow more precise plotting of potential collisions. In the past, those error bubbles have been classified and largely kept for internal military use, in order to ensure against reverse engineering of the SSN sensors capabilities. According to the industry sources, while some commercial entities have been given limited access to VCM data in the past, no other firm besides SpaceX has been given routine access to VCM and the error bubbles for non-government uses. (After a long negotiation, the Pentagon also shares the covariances with the Commerce Department for its troubled Traffic Coordination System for Space program.) The JCO-SpaceX agreement, the Space Force official said, does contain certain restrictions on use of the data. We do have stipulations on it that theyre not allowed to use that for any sort of commercial gain or benefit. Its only for their internal use, the official said on the condition of anonymity. This implies that SpaceX is permitted to integrate the VCM-type tracking and covariance data into its Stargaze catalog to plot safe maneuvers for its own satellites. Herman said the Starlink satellites perform 20,000 maneuvers every single day. He added that 1,000 of those daily maneuvers are to avoid collisions, so the majority is either station keeping or orbit transfer. The collision avoidance burns are overwhelmingly for non-Starlink objects, he added. Several industry analysts said that if SpaceX is using the covariance data only for ensuring the safety of Starlink/Starshield satellites, that is to be welcomed for space safety reasons since the SpaceX satellites make up more than half of the traffic in LEO. However, industry sources said, since SpaceX provides Stargaze services to others for free, theres lingering concern over what restrictions based on terms like commercial benefit might mean practically and whether the internal use-only data could influence the Stargaze services. In other words, industry officials said they are worried that if Stargaze is using an integrated catalog, SpaceX may well siphon off customers from other space tracking providers who cannot provide the same level of accuracy about LEO space traffic even for a price. Since the terms of the agreement with the JCO have so far been kept secret, there is widespread worst-case speculation. And of course, the more satellite operators provide their data to Stargaze, the more accurate its tracking capabilities become — further undermining for-profit providers. No sources were able to point to evidence the deal has influenced Stargaze products, but industry reps fret that if it did, it could lead to a feedback loop: Stargaze, a free service owned by the worlds richest man and armed with the covariance data, becomes the killer app for LEO tracking that everyone signs up to, driving competitors out of business while continuously improving its own data set. And, in a doomsday scenario envisioned by several sources, once the competitors are out of business, Stargaze could in theory then turn around and start charging once it is a monopoly. Its very very hard to compete with free when you have costs, Audrey Schaffer, senior vice president for global policy and government strategy at Slingshot Aerospace, told the AMOS conference on Sept. 17. This applies, she said, whether its data provided by government agencies or by free private services like Stargaze. Some industry and government sources also fretted that Stargaze ― despite its current shortcomings — could become viewed as a private substitute for TraCSS, which would wipe out another potential source of revenue for current space tracking firms. (However, Stargaze currently only looks at LEO, while TraCCS covers other orbits as well.) It absolutely is gives SpaceX an unfair market advantage, one industry analyst alleged. Perhaps adding fuel to industry concerns is an in-depth analysis by Quilty Space published Aug. 28 that shows that the Pentagons Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) provided $107.7 million in contracts to SpaceX for work leading to Stargaze under a program called Space-WATCH. DARPA launched Space-WATCH, for Space-domain Wide Area Tracking and Characterization, in 2023, and Quilty said that as of now, SpaceX is the only known supplier.

[Category: Space, Joint Commercial Operations cell, space command, space domain awareness SDA, Space Force, Space Surveillance Network SSN, space tracking, SpaceX, Starlink]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 11:28am
BEIRUT — Syria is looking to no longer have any foreign military bases, President Ahmad al-Sharaa said at an Atlantic Council event, allowing the country to have complete and pure sovereignty of the Syrian state. Prior to al-Sharaa coming into power in December 2024, Russia operated from dozens of military bases in Syria, which it used to help keep the Assad regime in power. Since the regime was overthrown, the number of Russian military bases has shrank considerably, he said. “They had around 170 military bases, and now there are only two bases, al-Sharaa said Tuesday. And after long discussions with them, we reached a point where we changed or we transformed those bases into training bases for the Syrian army, so they are not military bases that can oversee or provide any logistical work for operations that are launched from those bases against other countries. In August, Syria and Russia inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding those remaining two military bases — Hmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval Base — to turn them into “joint training and qualification centers.” Syria has also reduced the number of military bases owned by neighboring Turkey, al-Sharaa said, though he did not mention how many there were or how many remain. During the Assad regime, Turkey had a military presence along with observation posts in the northern and northwestern parts of Syria to protect its borders from an infiltration of terrorists and armed militias. Those Turkish bases were not previously endorsed by Syrian parliament, but al-Sharaa said the country is looking to get legal status for the remaining Turkish bases because any presence or any foreign presence should be under the endorsement of the Peoples Assembly and to have a legal status. He added that Damascus “very soon will not have the necessity to have any military or foreign military presence, and I believe we can go through the relations, diplomatic relations, and respect with all the countries in the neighborhoods and the friends of Syria.” Notably, the two countries in May displayed their close defense ties when Syria participated for the first time in Turkeys Efes military exercise.

[Category: Global, Israel, Middle East, military base, syria]

[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 9:55am
BELFAST — UK Chief of the Air Staff announced today that Britain will stand up a new space squadron focused on countering enemy threats and defending local “interests.” “No. 3 SES [Space Effects Squadron] will disrupt, degrade and deny hostile activity,” said Harv Smyth, as he announced the move at the UK Space Power Conference in London. Run by “specialist personnel” the squadron will take on offensive and defensive space missions, he added. “No one wants a war in space. We are positioned to deter this,” said Smyth, but he warned that the UK is witnessing “more and more irresponsible and provocative actions” from its enemies across the domain.  The announcement comes just days after senior US military officials shocked the space world by acknowledging it currently has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action. For the UK, No. 3 SES is an addition to the No. 1 Space Ops Squadron that teams with the National Space Operations Centre to track hazardous objects and the No. 2 Space Warning Squadron, established to provide missile warning and space tracking capabilities.  “We are planning more” squadrons, said Smyth, noting that an expansion program building out 4, 5, and 6 squadrons will include a space tactics and training branch, in addition to “squadrons which will deliver the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability.”    According to the UK MoD, the UK-US-Australia Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) program sits as the “cornerstone” of Britain’s capacity to detect and track items such as satellites, space debris and asteroids in Earth orbit.“The use of three sites for DARC (in the UK, US and Australia) will enable 360 degree coverage of the sky at all times of day and under any weather conditions,” states a MoD overview of the effort.Without disclosing additional details, Smyth also indicated that a “Space Defence function” will be developed as “part of the newly established Integrated Air, Space and Missile Defence Operations Centre.”  The future hub is an upgrade to the UK’s national air and missile defense operations center and fits within a £400 million ($530 million) Defence Investment Plan (DIP) commitment to replace aging C2 systems and sensors. The document, which lays out long-term UK defense spending and budget priorities, commits an “initial investment” of £40 million to the modernized center. More broadly, the DIP allocates £3.2 billion in support of space capabilities over the next four years. Funding is split between £2.3 billion for satellite communications and £880 million to cover space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).   From 2030 to 2035, the UK plans on spending a minimum of £9 billion on “new capabilities” for the space domain, according to the DIP.As Breaking Defense reported earlier this month, the recently unveiled UK 2027-2035 national space strategy put forward an interagency spending plan of “more than” £7.8 billion out to 2030.

[Category: Global, Space, Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), Europe, NATO, Skynet, Space Force, UK]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 8:10am
WASHINGTON — The Air and Space Forces over the past year have been picking up the pace of their multi-tiered research initiative aimed at developing an unusual idea seemingly straight from science fiction: the capability to rapidly deliver cargo into global hot zones by launching it through space. But while the Pentagon was originally looking primarily at using large, reusable rockets for the delivery of goods, the military is now shifting its attention towards smaller reentry capsules. The bi-service effort to leverage commercial capabilities for point-to-point delivery via space is somewhat confusing because it encompasses different programs with money in different budget pots — some funded jointly and some through service-specific spending. The mother of them all, however, was the Air Force Research Laboratorys (AFRL) high-priority Vanguard program called Rocket Cargo, which began in June 2021 and focused on launching rockets filled with 30 tons of logistical supplies from the United States, into space, and down on far-flung bases and battlefields. While that program is being phased down — the Air Force zeroed out funds in its fiscal 2026 budget and the Space Force gave it only a few million dollars in FY26 and FY27 — the children of Rocket Cargo live on and prosper today. An AFRL spokesperson revealed that reason for the shift in focus towards reentry capsules is because of several promising advantages, including: the logistics of rapidly unloading cargo at the delivery site, the ability to deliver cargo to a more diverse range of austere sites and terrain, the ability to deploy multiple reentry capsules in a single launch to deliver cargo to the point of need at several different locations, and near-term potential for broad vendor diversity, both in the reentry capsule systems and options to deliver reentry capsules from multiple launch providers. There are three primary efforts focused on cargo delivery through orbit, each with its own technological focus and budgets. Heres what to know. Payload Delivery System (P2D) The development of reentry capsules now is being undertaken by an AFRL program called the Payload Delivery System (PDS) funded jointly by the Air and Space Forces. Due to the nature of these multi-disciplinary challenges spanning both Air and Space, the PDS project is structured to leverage expertise and resources across the services. While the U.S. Space Force is the lead service, the technology challenges are joint in nature, the spokesperson added. One example is the end-to-end cargo transport environments, including space, during reentry, and during delivery at an austere site (this may include land or sea). The two services began joint funding of the PDS program this year, with the Air Force fiscal 2026 budget slating $30.6 million and the Space Forces $21.2 million. The Air Force asked for $32.3 million in its FY27 request; the Space Force asked for $16.5 million. AFRL is working with a number of commercial firms under PDS, some established and some brand new, to find a solution that hits the sweet spot of low-cost pods that can carry a lot of cargo. Reentry capsules are not a new thing: NASA, of course, has been using them for years to recover experiments as well as astronauts. These are very large, and also very expensive. More recently, firms such as Varda Space Industries and Inversion Space have begun demonstrating smaller reentry vehicles for commercial uses, such as growing pharmaceuticals and building microchips in space and bringing them back to Earth. According to market tracking website Factories in Space, there were 65 registered companies around the world working at some developmental stage on cargo reentry vehicles as of last September. Included in that number are big players SpaceX, which launched its first Starfall pod demo on June 23, and Blue Origin, which has yet to launch. Under the Rocket Cargo Vanguard and the Payload Delivery System project, we are engaged with industry to explore the potential trade-space for large, low-cost reentry capsules that are more suitable for rapid global mobility. To date, we have engaged with a number of potential commercial vendors, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Sierra Space, Varda, Inversion Space, Outpost Space, and a number of other small businesses, the AFRL spokesperson said. Ultimately, we would like a broad vendor base for low-cost reentry solutions with the cargo capacity and delivery capability to austere sites for rapid global mobility, the spokesperson added. Point-to-Point Delivery (P2D) The Space Forces Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics (SML) program managed by System Delta 80 is responsible for the Point-to-Point Delivery (P2D) program, as one of its two mission areas. P2D is aimed at orbital supply prepositioning and operational downmass as well as responsive sub-orbital and orbital point-to-point delivery operations, according to service budget documents. The near-term focus of the P2D project will leverage technology developed within both commercial independent research and development (IRAD) and AFRLs Rocket Cargo Vanguard program to study and develop P2D reference missions, the budget documents say. (A reference mission is a concept study looking at the feasibility of a technology and/or capability.) The Space Force began the P2D program in FY25 with $3.9 million, slated $19.3 million for it in FY26, and asked for $9.7 million in FY27 — with a similar amount projected each year through FY31. Rocket Experimentation For Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) Related to the P2D program is an AFRL Other Transaction Authority contract vehicle called Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL), first published in 2021, with the terms of reference updated in 2024. Under REGAL, no funds are being provided to develop commercial rockets. Instead, the focus is on funding P2D-related tech and demonstrations. Further, included in REGAL are no-cost agreements, so the overarching value of ongoing work is unclear. Sierra Space in October 2024 announced an undisclosed REGAL contract; similarly Rocket Lab announced an undisclosed REGAL award in May 2025. AFRL awarded Blue Origin $1.3 million and Anduril $1 million under REGAL in September 2025. In July, the lab added $11.7 million to Blue Origins contract bringing the total up to $13 million.

[Category: Air Warfare, Space, Air Force, Anduril, Blue Origin, In Focus Contested Space, Inversion Space, point-to-point delivery (P2PD), Rocket Cargo, Rocket Lab, Space Force, SpaceX, Varda Space Technologies]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 7:32am
Breaking Defense is pleased to announce the hiring of Mikayla Easley in the role of assistant editor, an addition that will help support and advance the capacity of the world’s largest newsroom dedicated to defense. Well known and experienced in defense circles, the award-winning Mikayla comes to Breaking Defense after several years at Defense Scoop, where she reported on defense acquisition and emerging technologies, with a focus on the Air and Space Forces. She previously worked at National Defense Magazine reporting on the defense industry for several years.  Mikayla received a masters in journalism from the prestigious University of Missouri journalism program, as well as a BA in Russian language and literature from the University of Michigan. The rapid expansion of Breaking Defense required the creation of this new role, in which Mikayla will help shape the publication’s industry leading coverage, working with our staff of nearly 20 full-time defense journalists based around the globe.  “I’ve been dreaming about working with Mikayla for several years now, so I’m excited we could finally get her on board,” Aaron Mehta, editor-in-chief of Breaking Defense, said. “Her skills will help complement our newsroom perfectly, but what I’m most excited about is the positive energy and passion for the work that she brings everywhere. The team can’t wait for her to start!” “I’m thrilled to welcome Mikayla to Breaking Defense’s exceptional editorial team,” said David Smith, publisher and managing director of Breaking Defense. “With her dedication, energy, intelligence and field reporting experience, Mikayla will make an immediate contribution as we continue to expand our coverage and set the standard for depth, quality and impact in defense journalism.” Mikayla’s first day will be Sept. 28, and she can be reached at mEasley@breakingmedia.com

[Category: Announcement]

[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 6:25am
The Armys decision to walk away from another Bradley upgrade wasnt about firepower. It was about a platform that had reached the limits of its own architecture after four decades of service, and a requirement that anything built to replace it needed enough margin, in power, weight, and computing, to serve for 30 years or more without the same problem recurring. American Rheinmetalls answer is the Lynx XM30, and the case for it rests on two questions: does the vehicle actually solve the problem the Army identified, and is the team behind it equipped to deliver on that solution? Jim Schirmer, senior vice president of programs at American Rheinmetall, spoke with Breaking Defense about both. Breaking Defense: What are the key points that make the Lynx XM30 the best choice for the Army? Schirmer: There are three areas that are important here in making this decision. Can you build it, can you grow it and can the crew fight in it? Jim Schirmer, senior vice president of programs, American Rheinmetall. We can build it. Were building it right now. Weve already begun delivering vehicles to the Army this year, and we’re building them in the production facilities where were planning to do the full-rate production should we win the contract. Can you grow it? Weve designed it for growth. The Armys got a variety of tests that theyre going to be conducting to validate that, in fact, we delivered all the additional margin that we planned on. Can the crew fight in it? Weve put an enormous amount of effort into what the Armys calling fightability, making sure that that two-man crew has the right tools, the right graphical user interfaces, and the data is presented in a manner thats understandable so they can be fully effective and fight with that system as intended. We took a lot of input from soldiers and we hired a bunch of retired master gunners to make sure that we had a users voice every day of the week as the engineers were designing the system. That three-part test, build it, grow it, fight in it, is the architecture behind everything else American Rheinmetall did on this program. The first half of that test starts with a problem the Army had already run out of ways to solve. A photo illustration of American Rheinmetall’s Lynx XM30 in an urban combat zone. (Photo illustration courtesy of American Rheinmetall.) Why does the Army need a clean sheet combat vehicle rather than upgrading the Bradley again? What are the operational limitations that the Bradley has reached thats driving all of this? The Bradleys been a great infantry fighting vehicle for a bit over 40 years at this point, and weve upgraded a number of times. But its out of margin for future growth, and its not really about firepower. This is more about electrical power and weight-carrying capacity, and at some point you just cant continue to upgrade it. If youve seen the power pack that goes into the Bradley, it takes up almost every square inch of space in that engine compartment. They cant make it much bigger. The Army made the right call by deciding to start over with a clean sheet where they can build in some growth margin for the future. Ultimately you have to generate the power armored vehicles need. Its harder for the engine to cool itself because it has to live in an armored box to survive the environment. Cooling takes up a fair amount of space and all those things work to constrain your ability to grow and draw more power out of that power pack to provide electricity for whatever the Army might need. How has the Lynx XM30 been designed to provide the capabilities that are needed not only today, but in the future? Thats the centerpiece of the whole modernization program for XM30, because the Armys going to have this in its inventory for 30 years, maybe longer. The Bradley has been here for more than 40 years, almost 50. Same for the Abrams. We have to design for a fight that might happen in the 2040s, and its impossible to predict what the Armys going to need 20 years from now. But what we can do is provide extra margin in a couple of key areas to allow the Army to adapt to changes on the battlefield. That starts with building some margin for weight. How do you do that? The chassis, the structure, the suspension have to be designed to carry more weight than the vehicles actually going to weigh when its produced. The powertrain, the engine and transmission are capable of meeting the minimum mobility requirements at a higher weight than the vehicle will weigh when we deliver it to the government. If the Army wants to add a two-ton system that we cant visualize today, you can add that weight to the vehicle, still meet the required mobility and not have to redesign your structure, upgrade your suspension system and then electrical power. Theres a significant amount of additional electrical power thats generated by the system that is not consumed by all the subsystems that we have on the vehicle today. Equally important is not just generating that electricity, but the ability to distribute it. The power distribution units and the architecture for electricity are available to provide that power throughout the vehicle. If we have to add, say, a counter-missile laser of some kind in the future that draws a lot of power, it goes on the turret. Then lastly, we have spare computational power and we have empty card slots in several of our major compute boxes. Were leaving that space in there for future upgrades that we cant foresee today. A video showing some of the capabilities of American Rheinmetall’s Lynx XM30. (Video courtesy of American Rheinmetall.) What was the sort of incremental improvement we saw on ground vehicles years ago during Middle East operations? If you look back at the early days of the Iraq war, for example, where Abrams and Bradley went into that fight, they both had spare margin for power and for weight, in particular. And its a good thing they did because we had to be reactive. We added the RPG cages, we added the CREW (Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare) system, which is electrical power to try to jam remote controlled IEDs. A whole host of kits were developed over the course of that war against a threat that hadnt been thought about in the 70s when they were designing the vehicle. Those efforts also consumed a lot of that spare power and weight margin. The thought is all right, we need to start over with a clean sheet and thats going to give us running room for hopefully 30-plus years of adapting and evolving to the emerging environment. How are you incorporating open architecture throughout the entire process? One of the things the Army did differently here is they dictated a vehicle architecture standard, an open system standard. They called it GCIA (Ground Combat Systems Common Infrastructure Architecture). That allowed them to control the interfaces because they dictated how they wanted any of these interfaces to be laid out and how data had to be structured. By doing that, they maintain some control. In the future, a qualified third party could come in and integrate a new subsystem onto the vehicle without necessarily coming through us, and that gives the Army a lot more optionality and will make it quicker for them to make modernization choices down the road. If they implement an imaginary counter-missile laser 20 years from now, the company that produces that laser could find these interface standards because theyre open, theyre published and they could design to that, or they could come up with a wrapper that allows them to talk to that interface and make it work without the Army having to pay American Rheinmetall to do the integration work. Margin and open architecture solve the Armys capability problem on paper. Turning that into a vehicle a two-person crew can actually build, maintain, and fight in required a different kind of expertise, and its where American Rheinmetalls team did its most distinctive work. The American Rheinmetall Lynx XM30 traces its design heritage back to Rheinmetalls Lynx. What remains from that platform and what is distinctly American Rheinmetall? We inherited a design philosophy that had to do with modularity and how we space things around the vehicle. The Army had a very unique set of requirements, and we had a team of American engineers here in the US that designed the vehicle, inspired by the architecture that we inherited. There is not much left of that original design other than the architectural philosophy. We have a very different set of requirements for how many soldiers its got to carry, the two-man crew, the weapon system is different, the protection requirements are different. Its an American vehicle designed in the US specifically for the US Army. What did your master gunner veterans identify to change during the design process? How did you incorporate their feedback? A lot of that was actually how we lay information out on the screens. As theyre moving through a mission, how it was easiest for them to see the information displayed so it was quicker to understand how they wanted the controls to be laid out. Its things that you use a lot. You want them to be very easy to reach, things that you only use occasionally, they can be a little further away. We ended up substantially reworking the software that laid out how those controls were put together and how the information was displayed on the screen. Luckily that was software, and software is never easy, but changing it on the front end of the program was a lot cheaper than doing that later. The hatches are larger and we had them practice getting in and out of the vehicle with all their gear on, so we made some modifications to how the ramp was laid out to make that easier and safer. We also learned quite a bit from the maintainers who were looking at how they would get to a piece of equipment if they had to do this maintenance task. How would they reload the missile? We had dummy missiles that were weighted, so they could try to put them in and out and had to make some adjustments there. How are you supporting the two-person crew requirement that the Army implemented? To begin with, we placed the two-man crew side by side, you could say inspired by aircraft design. Imagine a lot of pilot/copilot arrangements where theyre sitting side by side and this is going to make coordination easier between the two because they can talk to each other more easily than they can point. Theres a common screen between the two of them. Weve provided the same functionality at both crew stations, so you can fire the main weapon from the left or the right. You can drive the vehicle from the left or the right. They have complete redundancy in their controls, and so were going to let the Army decide how they want to distribute tasks between the two positions. The Army’s priorities shaped every detail of the Lynx XM30—margin built into the chassis, soldier‑driven crew stations, and Army‑controlled interfaces. Discover how the right capability, built by the right team and ready right now, is redefining what’s possible. Explore more about the Lynx XM30 and the team delivering it at wwww.teamlynx-xm30.com

[Category: Land Warfare, Sponsored Post, American Rheinmetall Vehicles, Army, Custom Rheinmetall Lynx XM30, Lynx, Presented by Rheinmetall, Rheinmetall, Sponsored Content, XM30]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/23/26 2:02am
Much of the attention on European air programs has focused on sixth-generation manned fighters, but there is an increasing focus on unmanned systems, both of the larger CCA variety and the smaller quadcopter revolution playing out in Ukraine. So with one sixth-gen fighter program dead, is the future trending towards drones? For part three of our European Airpower roundtable, Breaking Defense Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta is joined Breaking Defense Europe co-editors Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo, along with noted aviation expert Douglas Barrie of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Keep an eye out for future episodes by going to Breaking Defense and Breaking Defense Europe.

[Category: Air Warfare, Air Force, collaborative combat aircraft, Drones, Europe, European Airpower Roundtable, Future Combat Air System FCAS SCAF, GCAP, technology, Video]

[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 3:46pm
Editors Note: After publication of this story, the official X account of CASI shared a statement that Air University has decided to close the China Aerospace Studies Institute, despite the Air Forces previous statement on the status of the organization. Breaking Defense has requested clarification from the service and will update this story with more information. WASHINGTON — The Air Force is eliminating civilian staff roles for a service-run organization dedicated to studying Chinese airpower, but is not closing shop on the research entity, according to an Air Force spokesperson.  In a statement to Breaking Defense, the spokesperson said that in response to “an ongoing civilian restructure within” the Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command, civilian staff “will no longer be assigned to China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI).” The spokesperson added that CASI’s “mission continues” and will be executed by “leveraging assigned military service members to accomplish its objectives.” Affected civilian employees “will continue in their current positions until further notice and will be evaluated for reassignment,” the spokesperson said. CASI is a premiere, government-run think tank that regularly publishes research on Beijing’s air and space forces. The entity shares its findings within the US military and the broader defense community to promote understanding of China’s military prowess, with the goal of shaping policy and strategy. The organization’s most recent work was published Monday. The paper, entitled From Vision to Vigilance: How Beijing’s Space-Science Roadmap Builds a Real-Time Kill Webb, explores how technologies ostensibly geared toward space exploration could instead “support persistent, multi-spectral coverage across the Pacific with near-real time refresh,” the paper’s introduction reads. Those technologies could then be used for military purposes to aid what defense officials call a kill web, essentially a network of integrated sensors that can provide multiple ways to track and strike a target.   Trouble at CASI first surfaced on Monday when a civilian staffer posted online about roles being eliminated, including a claim that the Air Force planned to “shutter” the institute. The move, coming the week that Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to visit the United States, prompted questions about similar study projects run by the Army and Navy. The Naval War College told Breaking Defense that “[t]here are no anticipated changes to manning or capacity at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. Army University did not respond to a request for comment about the status of the China Landpower Studies Center, which is run by the US Army War College.  The reduction at the CASI mirrors moves championed last year during the height of the Department of Government Efficiency effort, where an analysis by Breaking Defense and the American Enterprise Institute found tens of thousands of civilian positions were axed across the Defense Department. Steep cuts have since prompted the Air Force to seek thousands of new hires, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. Diana Stancey in Washington contributed to this report.

[Category: Air Warfare, Global, Air Education and Training Command, Air Force, Asia, China, civilian workforce]

[*] [-] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 12:40pm
SINGAPORE — The Australian Department of Defence announced today that its fleets of Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft and L3 Harris MC-55A Peregrine Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (ISREW) have attained Initial Operational Capability (IOC) “following extensive operational testing and evaluation.” The milestone will boost Australias ability to conduct long range, persistent surveillance over the expansive airspace and waters in and around the Indo Pacific region, according to the announcement. Declaring IOC in the Australian context means that the initial subset of a platform or a system, in this case part of the full complement of aircraft and their support elements, is ready to be deployed operationally. Jane Bishop, Northrop Grumman Global Surveillance Divisions vice president and general manager, said in an announcement that “achieving Initial Operating Capability with the Royal Australian Air Force is a key step in strengthening the critical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities MQ-4C Triton brings to the vast Indo-Pacific.” “Commanders can now take full advantage of Triton’s ability to provide comprehensive surveillance data that strengthens regional security for joint decision makers, even in harsh and remote environments.” The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has received three each of the MQ-4Cs and MC-55As, having ordered four of both aircraft types. The Australian IOC announcement added that the fourth MC-55A is set to arrive in Australia later this year. Todays announcement added that attaining IOC for the RAAFs MQ-4Cs has “significantly strengthened its ability to deliver persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance effects across Australia’s primary area of military interest,” while the MC-55s “expand Air Force’s ability to deliver integrated intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare effects in support of Defence operations.”  Since the first MC-55 arrived in Australia in February, the aircraft have been deployed overseas. In July, one one aircraft deployed to Clark Airbase in the Philippines and flew several missions over the South China Sea. Separately, today’s announcement noted that the first of two Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft being upgraded by Boeing in the US has returned to Australia.  Boeing was awarded a contract in 2024 to upgrade the RAAF’s fleet of 14 P-8As to Increment 3 Block 2 standard that includes improvements to the aircraft’s onboard software, systems and sensors, with work on the first two aircraft carried out in Jacksonville, Fla., and the remainder to be upgraded in Australia. 

[Category: Air Warfare, Global, Air Force, Asia, australia, Indo-Pacific, MQ-4C Triton, P-8A Poseidon, RAAF]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 12:10pm
WASHINGTON — All US government documents will henceforth refer to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence” or SI, President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly this morning, adding he hoped “the whole world” would follow along. “The United States also totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control for the artificial intelligence,” Trump said. “[I’m] changing the name, in that the use of the word ‘artificial’ … makes it sound fake, and it is not fake. Its actually amazing, but we have to be careful. “From this point forward, all of United States documents, and hopefully the world, will be changed to use the much more accurate term ‘super,’ as opposed to ‘artificial’, so its super intelligence,’” the president continued. “In other words, welcome to the new world of super intelligence.” As of yet, there is no official announcement from the White House on how this is to be implemented, but Trump appointees in the past have proved eager to adapt new terminology like Department of War for Department of Defense. (Department of Defense is still the term that is enshrined in law.) Replacing the term artificial intelligence with super intelligence does not create any such legal complications, but it does create potential for confusion. For years, AI experts, practitioners, and visionaries have consistently used “super intelligence” or “artificial super intelligence” (ASI) to refer to a specific kind of AI, one that does not yet exist: An artificial intelligence smarter than the smartest human. It’s not entirely clear whether Trump is now endorsing superhuman machine minds, or simply saying AI as it exists today is already “super.” Trump has publicly embraced the AI industry from the first days of his second term and has overseen a massive expansion of AI usage at the Pentagon in particular. He’s also tried to punish frontier lab Anthropic for its attempts to limit military use of its Claude AI — leading to an ongoing legal battle. In recent weeks, he’s denounced Anthropic CEO Daario Amodei’s call for greater caution in AI development after incidents of autonomous AI agents breaking containment and spontaneous staging cyberattacks. Much of what the president said about AI at the UN echoed, near-verbatim, recent posts he’s made on Truth Social, arguing that those warning about out-of-control AI are the same “globalist” enemies who sounded the alarm about climate change and Trump’s complex links to Russia. He earlier used the “super intelligence” term in a Sept. 21 post promising “I will only encourage AI or, SI (SUPER INTELLIGENCE)!”

[Category: Networks & Digital Warfare, AI & Autonomy, artificial intelligence AI, cyber security, networks, President Donald Trump, technology, United Nations]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 11:50am
WASHINGTON — Australias defense minister said today that he did not believe any parts of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft reportedly diverted to Hong Kong were sensitive, but said Canberra was working with Washington and F-35-maker Lockheed Martin on the issue. “We are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end, but the point I would make here is that we are confident about the way in which weve engaged with the program, and through the USs prime contractor, Lockheed,” Richard Marles said, according to a government transcript.  While ultimately referring questions about the nature of the missing components to the US government and Lockheed, Marles said his “understanding” is “were not talking about sensitive parts here.” POLITICO first reported Sept. 18 that a collection of F-35 parts handled by a Lockheed “intermediary” bound for the US for repairs was apparently diverted after leaving Australia, winding up in Hong Kong. The shipment included one of the F-35’s canopies — coated in radar-absorbing material key to masking the stealth fighter’s signature — which, the outlet said, was still missing. Both the Pentagons F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed released relatively sanguine statements, echoing Marles. A spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office said Pentagon officials “are aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components. We are actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident, and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence.” A Lockheed spokesperson said the company “continues to work closely with the U.S. Government following this incident and we have complied fully with all laws, policies, and export‑control regulations.”  The spokesperson added that the missing components “are unserviceable and deemed low risk for exploitation. We manage every shipment with the highest levels of caution and security to protect the integrity of the program and the interests of our partners and customers.” Still, the waylaid shipment making its way to Hong Kong is sure to raise fears that the Chinese government, which has strengthened its grip on the special administrative region, may gain access to the F-35’s stealth technology. Compromising the fighter’s stealth capabilities could help an adversary better understand how to counter it in battle, or enable Beijing to incorporate lessons for its own advanced aircraft projects. (For more than a decade China has faced allegations that it has stolen F-35 plans to better help it build its own fighter jets. Beijing has dismissed the claims.) With 20 global customers — and another potentially on the way after the State Department cleared a sale for Saudi Arabia — the F-35 relies on a complex global supply chain. The F-35’s global spares pool is owned by the government but managed by Lockheed, and components are spread out over dozens of domestic and international facilities.  A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found that over 1 million F-35 parts collectively valued at $85 million were unaccounted for, warning that number could be much higher. A dearth of parts has been a key driver behind the F-35’s disappointing readiness rates, prompting officials in recent years to pursue a greater number of spares. 

[Category: Air Warfare, Global, Air Force, Asia, australia, F-35, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Government Accountability Office GAO, Indo-Pacific, Joint Program Office, Lockheed Martin]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 11:19am
BELFAST — US President Donald Trump sat next to the leaders of Denmark and its territory Greenland today to sign a new Arctic security agreement based on strengthening common deterrence, defusing at least for the time being a tense standoff amid Washingtons threat to annex the semi-autonomous island. The joint pact was signed by Trump, Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a ceremony in New York, immediately after Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Today we are signing an even bigger and better agreement than the 1951 defense treaty between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US, a [new] deal that can last forever, Frederiksen told reporters. This deal is good for the United States, its good for Greenland, for Denmark, for the NATO alliance, and therefore also good for Europe. She added that the pact strengthens our common deterrence and prevents adversaries from gaining any control or significant influence over Greenland. Under the deal, the US is to receive unfettered military access to Greenland and its territorial waters and can fly over, or land on, any territory on the island. It also allows for the US to establish a defense area in two Greenland locations with modalities and technical details to be mutually agreed by the Parties. Or, as Trump put it in a separate address at the UN General Assembly today, Well be building two very major military bases. The agreement also, however, reaffirm[ed] the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, and recogniz[ed] that the People of Greenland constitute a people pursuant to international law with the right to self-determination. Just months ago Trump threatened that sovereignty, saying the US was considering taking control of Greenland through military means. He justified the controversial stance in January by arguing that the US needs it, to stop Russia or China from occupying it. He did not answer when asked by a reporter today if the new agreement takes US ownership of Greenland off the table. But he did say the deal was tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for Greenland its going to be incredible. The signing of the agreement closes out weeks of negotiations and, publicly at least, reduces political tension between the three signatories. Rasmus Søndergaard, senior researcher for foreign policy and diplomacy at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Breaking Defense ahead of the signing ceremony that it looked like “worst outcomes have been averted. At the height of the territorial dispute, Frederiksen predicted that a transatlantic security crisis could arrive. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops — including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War.” She sounded a very different tone today. This agreement also recognizes the United States defining historical and ongoing contributions to the security and defense of Greenland and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty area, including, by the way, the sacrifices and billions of dollars spent, and the role that United States military plays in defense, when it comes to Greenland now and also in the future, she said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the agreement with a post on X, saying that it enhances our collective security. Based on recent statements in the lead up to today’s agreement, Søndergaard said that Trump is possibly “overselling a little bit, the degree to which the US gets control” of the Arctic territory, or even continuing to negotiate in public, through the statements. From “what I can tell, he has not achieved” control of Greenland from this agreement, said Søndergaard. “Quite the contrary. However, hes trying … to pitch to a domestic audience, in particular, this agreement on increased military presence as some victory that was only possible according” to his approach. As for the new military bases, the agreement stipulates one could be located in Narsarsuaq, a southern part of the Arctic territory, and another on Mestersvig, on its east coast. (The agreement also calls for the modernization and expansion of US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, which currently supports DoD early warning and missile defense capabilities.) “Weve seen US officials measuring up the [Narsarsuaq] runway there, so [thats] a pretty clear indication,” of interest in reopening and potentially expanding the base, explained Søndergaard. He noted that the second location is of interest to Washington “when it comes to surveilling potential Russian activity down the east coast of Greenland.” In the end, despite how Trump could present the apparent military expansion as a major success, it does not look like the US is entering a deal that is “substantially different from the existing 1951 [defense treaty] agreement,” allowing it to build up forces on Greenland, according to Søndergaard.

[Category: Air Warfare, Global, Air Force, arctic, Denmark, Europe, Greenland, NATO, President Donald Trump]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 8:50am
In this weeks episode of The Break Out, Deputy Editor Lee Ferran and Air Warfare Reporter Michael Marrow outline some of the biggest and most surprising news from this years Air and Space Forces Associations Air, Space and Cyber conference out in scenic National Harbor in Maryland. Then Breaking Defense Multimedia Director Daniel Woolfolk leads viewers through a few systems and displays on the show floor. Dont miss our complete reporting from the 2026 AFA trade show, here. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '2097098', formId: '572d65c9-320c-4f86-86a9-7b1af51cec00', target: '#hubspot-form-572d65c9-320c-4f86-86a9-7b1af51cec00', });

[Category: Air Warfare, Space, AFA 2026, Air Force, Break Out Video, Business & Industry, Gen. Doug Schiess, space, Space Force, Troy Meink, Video]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 7:48am
The only thing hotter than Georgia in August? The Army’s digital battlefield. At TechNet Augusta 2026, military cyber and network leaders tackled some of the biggest challenges facing the force: from AI-enabled cyber operations and electronic warfare to new approaches for delivering capabilities to soldiers faster. Breaking Defense’s Mark Pomerleau was on the ground to capture the key developments and conversations shaping the Army’s digital transformation. Get the key takeaways in this new Breaking Defense eBook. Sign up below to receive your free copy. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '2097098', formId: '43135e49-cb5e-4aaf-98f8-ef54f0e39203', target: '#hubspot-form-43135e49-cb5e-4aaf-98f8-ef54f0e39203', }); By filling out the form you agree to receive messages from Breaking Defense and its partners.

[Category: Land Warfare, Networks & Digital Warfare, Army, artificial intelligence AI, autonomy, cyber security, eBook, electronic warfare (EW), networks, TechNet Augusta 2026, technology]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/22/26 7:40am
SINGAPORE — US company Lite Coms has been selected by Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) to provide Beyond Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals for an Australian program.  Lite Coms said in an emailed press release on Tuesday that it will provide its LITE SAT 1.3A tactical satellite terminals to BDA in support of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) LAND 4140 Land Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4I) modernization program.  According to the company, the LITE SAT 1.3A is a “lightweight, rugged, auto-acquire satellite terminal engineered for military and government operations.” It added that the terminal is built of a durable carbon fiber reflector and is designed for a “fast, tool-free deployment” and “delivers secure, resilient, high-performance beyond line-of-sight connectivity for mission-critical operations.”  CEO of Lite Coms Bob Jacobsen said that the company was thrilled to have been selected for the program.   We believe this continues to showcase the industry leading capability of the Lite Sat 1.3 and the value that Lite Coms offers our customers.” According to the Australian military, LAND 4140 “will modernise and enhance Land C4 systems in order to deliver decision-making superiority and improve the Command and Control, intelligence, sensors, and weapon system effectors, essential for the conduct of Joint Land Force operations.” BDA had been selected by the Australian government in August to deliver Class Two BLOS SATCOM ground terminals to “enable faster, uninterrupted and more reliable connectivity in increasingly complex and contested operational environments.” Matt Buckle, BDA’s director of Joint Systems, said at the time that the capability would provide multi-domain connection for Australia’s integrated military.  “Underpinned by high-speed, wideband SATCOM links, the advanced BLOS system will ensure uninterrupted data flow that allows the Australian Defence Force to connect when needed and operate with confidence when it matters most, he said in a company press release at the time. BDA had previously been appointed to be the systems integrator for the Battle Management System that is also being delivered under Australia’s LAND 4140 program.

[Category: Global, Land Warfare, Networks & Digital Warfare, Army, Asia, australia, cyber security, Indo-Pacific, Land 4140, networks, technology]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/21/26 1:15pm
WASHINGTON — The Navy has tapped a captain, rather than an admiral, to be its next chief of information to oversee the service’s public affairs programs. Capt. Tamara Lawrence, the current acting chief of information, will take over the post, where she will be instrumental in shaping how the Navy communicates, now and into the future, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in a statement on Friday. “I have the utmost confidence in her ability to impact the service in such positive and lasting ways, and I am excited to watch her in action, Cao said. Lawrence graduated from Duke University and has graduate degrees from San Diego State University and the National War College, according to the Navy. She has previously completed tours at commands including Naval Special Warfare Command and US Naval Forces Europe and Africa Joint Force. While the chief of information role traditionally has been held by a rear admiral, Lawrence’s selection comes after MS Now first reported in July that the Navy had implemented some changes to the selection process for the position, and that the person ultimately selected would be of the O-6 rank. This time, active-duty and reserve Navy captains and Marine Corps colonels were considered for the post, whereas previously only active-duty captains with at least three years of experience were viewed eligible for the job and the respective advancement to rear admiral, MS Now reported at the time. The Navy told MS Now that the change was done in order to widen the number of eligible candidates for the job.  As chief of information, Lawrence will serve as an advisor to Cao and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, and develop service-wide guidance about how the Navy will uphold its responsibility to communicate openly and transparently with the public, the Navy announcement said.

[Category: Naval Warfare, Adm. Daryl Caudle, Hung Cao, Marine Corps, Navy]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/21/26 12:46pm
The United States has demonstrated impressive combat power in the conflict with Iran. And yet, when Iranian authorities shut down the country’s internet and communications earlier this year during the nationwide anti-regime protests and Operation Epic Fury, the US was unprepared to help Iranian civilians combat their government’s repressive tactics.  That remains a flaw in America’s ongoing campaign and should be one of the key takeaways from the Iran conflict. The US government must take steps to avoid repeating these shortcomings and develop plans to enable civilians to freely communicate in any country where a shutdown is possible. The internet drove Iranian protests by enabling civilians to organize efforts to oppose the regime. To hinder those protests and further repress dissent, the regime shut down the internet nationwide. Despite restoring internet access in late May after an 88-day blackout intended to prevent an uprising during the 2026 war, the regime continues to heavily filter civilian communications, retains sophisticated tools to detect citizens using virtual private networks (VPNs) and unauthorized satellite internet services like Starlink, and maintains the ability to impose another nationwide blackout if unrest surges.  With access to circumvention tools, civilians living under repressive governments, such as in Iran, China, Myanmar and Cuba, could better resist these restrictions; but the currently available tools are either too expensive, or too easily blocked.   VPNs, for example, can be costly for civilians and vulnerable to authorities’ monitoring and interference — a common problem for Iranians. The US government previously supported private companies that provided VPNs to civilians in countries with internet restrictions like Iran, China and Russia via the Open Technology Fund, but these programs have run into recent budget constraints. In Iran’s case, civilians have since turned to informal markets to purchase insecure VPNs or pay for the regime’s heavily filtered “Internet Pro” — a tiered internet service reserved for select groups. Like VPNs, Starlink and other unauthorized satellite internet services are vulnerable to governments’ detection and jamming technology. Additionally, Starlink requires large terminals that can be challenging to smuggle and conceal from authorities. Notably, between March and July 2026, Iranian police say they confiscated 997 Starlink devices and detained 163 people linked with the equipment.  While conventional satellite broadband has its physical limitations, direct-to-cell (D2C) could one day provide another potential outlet for civilians to communicate during a terrestrial nationwide internet and cellular blackout. D2C offers the ability to directly connect to a satellite, bypassing the need for a traditional dish. Several tech companies are working to refine and expand D2C capabilities by enhancing communication and web browsing abilities while ensuring D2C is compatible with various smartphone models. However, the availability, speed and reliability of these capabilities vary across providers and are still in development — making uniform implementation in other countries difficult due to technical and regulatory challenges, as well as their government’s prohibition of unauthorized communication outlets.  With Tehran and other regimes wielding the power to cut off their citizens’ internet access and communications, the United States should work with the private sector to organize a campaign aimed at enabling civilians in authoritarian countries to circumvent everyday restrictions and any potential future shutdowns.  Since VPNs are only effective for bypassing internet restrictions and cannot operate during a full terrestrial shutdown, the US government needs to divert resources to solving this communications crisis in the longer term. As Starlink remains one of the only forms of communication during a blackout, the US should funnel Starlink terminals to civilians in need via activist organizations trained in smuggling humanitarian goods into conflict zones.  Simultaneously, the US government should work with SpaceX to co-develop smaller Starlink terminals that are easier to smuggle and assemble as part of its Starshield program, ultimately reducing the risk of drawing attention from authorities in countries where owning this technology is criminalized.  Additionally, Congress should direct the appropriate departments or agencies to work with companies offering D2C to accelerate development, as well as refine and expand their capabilities to include reliable cellular communication, web browsing and live streaming services. Once testing is complete and the products are secure for public distribution, the State Department should collaborate with humanitarian organizations to distribute D2C-compatible phones to civilians in need. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control should quickly issue distributors the proper licenses to transport products to these countries as sanctions for their governments’ malign activities and oppression often prohibit American organizations from trading with them.  As authoritarian governments increasingly weaponize the internet and civilian communication to repress dissent, an information warfare tool set would enhance the livelihoods of those living in restrictive countries, improving their abilities to resist their regime’s repression through secure communication and freer internet access.  Vice Admiral Jeff Trussler, USN (ret.) is the former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and the 68th Director of Naval Intelligence and was a participant in the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) 2026 Generals and Admirals Program. Sarah Havdala is a policy analyst at JINSA.

[Category: Global, Networks & Digital Warfare, Opinion, China, Cuba, cyber security, D2C, information warfare, Iran, Myanmar, networks, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Op-Ed Commentary, Open Technology Fund, Operation Epic Fury, Russia, Starlink, State Department, technology, VPN]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/21/26 11:30am
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg last week met in a classified setting with the House Armed Services Committee after the rest of the lower chamber left Washington early, not to return until after the midterm elections. In this episode of the Congressional Roundup, Breaking Defenses Valerie Insinna lays out whats at stake for Feinberg and Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst as they plan for the departments funding future with the potentially disruptive midterms just around the corner. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '2097098', formId: '1ae78672-6dbf-4528-ae72-18d629c6b1f4', target: '#hubspot-form-1ae78672-6dbf-4528-ae72-18d629c6b1f4', });

[Category: Congress, Chris Deluzio, Congressional Roundup Video Series, continuing resolution, Defense Budget, HASC, House, Jay Hurst, Joe, Joe Courtney, Pentagon, Rob Wittman, senate, Steve Feinberg]

[*] [+] [-] [x] [A+] [a-]  
[l] at 9/21/26 10:20am
WASHINGTON — The Air Force has formally retired the EC-130H Compass Call, capping over 40 years of operations for the electronic attack aircraft.  Officials said farewell to the aircraft during a ceremony on Sept. 18 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where the turboprop executed its final operational taxi, according to an Air Force press release. The Arizona base is home to the 55th Electronic Combat Group that operated the Compass Call, as well as the “Boneyard” where the aircraft is scheduled to be laid to rest today.  “This closes the door not just on my time in our squadron, but on an entire chapter of my life,” Staff Sgt. Justin Franko, dedicated crew chief at the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, said of the aircraft’s concluding taxi in the release.  The EC-130H — a version of Lockheed Martin’s C-130 turboprop modified with electronic attack equipment by BAE Systems and L3Harris — entered service in 1983 to disrupt enemy communications and jam radars. The Pentagon has disclosed that the aircraft even featured in initial stages of combat operations against Iran earlier this year in Operation Epic Fury.  The Air Force is replacing the EC-130H with the EA-37B, which will also be dubbed the Compass Call. The new electronic attack aircraft is based on a Gulfstream G550 business jet, and will similarly wield tech from BAE integrated by L3Harris.  “We are retiring the EC-130; we are not retiring Compass Call,” Col. Aaron Gray, commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, said in the Air Force’s release. “The mission continues with the EA-37B.”  The modern Compass Call will fly at twice the altitude and double the speed of its predecessor and operate more powerful systems against adversaries, according to the Air Force. The first aircraft was delivered in August 2024.  After previous uncertainty over the EA-37B’s fleet size, Air Force officials revealed in April that they would be boosting the forthcoming Compass Call’s fleet to 22 aircraft. Italy last year signed up to be the first export customer for the jet.  Advanced electronic warfare is a key aspect of modern warfare, and both offensive and defensive tech to wage war in the electromagnetic spectrum will be crucial in a conflict against a peer adversary like China. Alongside the Air Force, the Navy also operates a dedicated airborne electronic attack platform in the carrier-launched EA-18G Growler.

[Category: Air Warfare, Air Force, BAE Systems, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, EC-130H Compass Call, Gulfstream, Gulfstream G550, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin]

As of 9/23/26 2:39pm. Last new 9/23/26 12:58pm.

First feed in category: Global Research