SpaceWatch Global
• Torsten Kriening
Analysis from the first UK Space Power Conference describes a more assertive British space posture, including plans for a new offensive space squadron and a costed strategy. It also identifies a funding gap extending to 2035, with implications for European defense planning and capability development.
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Analysis from the first UK Space Power Conference describes a more assertive British space posture, including plans for a new offensive space squadron and a costed strategy. It also identifies a funding gap extending to 2035, with implications for European defense planning and capability development.
The U.S. Air Force plans to use $250 million authorized in the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to acquire a VIP-configured Boeing 737-8, expanding its C-40 fleet of 737-700-based aircraft. The funding covers the period from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
The Pentagon is planning a phased buildout of the Golden Dome missile-defense architecture through 2035, signaling a long-term implementation effort rather than a single procurement event. The timeline points to sustained requirements for funding, technology development, industrial capacity and integration across the defense enterprise.
The U.S. Air Force is confronting a $14 billion shortfall in sustainment funding as supply-chain constraints and maintenance challenges pressure force readiness. Closing the gap will require additional resources to support ongoing operations and address persistent logistics and sustainment requirements.
The U.S. Air Force has priced the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program at $20.2 billion as it advances engine and radar upgrades intended to keep the strategic bomber operational into the 2050s. The service is also working to recover schedule on the two largest elements of the modernization effort.
Anduril executives said the company cannot start work on a production contract for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft without funding in the fiscal 2027 budget. The company expects production assets to be moving through its facilities in 2027, but says internal investment alone is insufficient.
Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Doug Schiess said the continuing resolution extending through Oct. 1 is protecting near-term funding but creating uncertainty for roughly one in 10 service programs. He urged lawmakers to resolve the budget impasse and approve a full-year appropriation.
Infrastructure required to support the B-21 Raider at Ellsworth Air Force Base has risen to about $2 billion, double the U.S. Air Force’s 2021 estimate. The increase comes as the base prepares to receive its first bomber in 2027 and become the program’s first operational location.
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