Defense Budgets & Spending News

Payload • Douglas Gorman

Europe funds in-space defenses while stopping short of weaponization

European officials are criticizing the militarization of space even as they fund programs intended to strengthen their own defensive posture in orbit. The initiatives described fall short of weaponization, highlighting the distinction between building space defenses and deploying weapons in space.

2026-10-08T22:35:21.550435-07:00

Defense Budgets & Spending

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Europe funds in-space defenses while stopping short of weaponization

European officials are criticizing the militarization of space even as they fund programs intended to strengthen their own defensive posture in orbit. The initiatives described fall short of weaponization, highlighting the distinction between building space defenses and deploying weapons in space.

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Navy Times

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Raytheon wins up to $6.3 billion Pentagon contract for SM-3 Block IB production and sustainment

The multi-year award covers production and sustainment of Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors as the Pentagon works to replenish missile-defense inventories and increase munitions output. It follows a framework agreement between the Defense Department and Raytheon to expand production of the interceptor.

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SpaceNews.com

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EU nations back military space project worth up to $27 billion, propose shared tracking data

European governments are preparing to invest as much as €24 billion ($27 billion) in a joint military space project spanning satellite communications, surveillance and missile warning. The initiative would also establish shared tracking data, deepening cooperation across Europe’s defense-space capabilities.

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Senators press Pentagon for details on Golden Dome’s missile-defense architecture after $1.2 trillion estimate

Congressional budget analysts have been briefed on the Pentagon’s classified Golden Dome architecture, six months after estimating the proposed missile-defense program could cost $1.2 trillion. The disclosure comes as lawmakers seek clarity on what threats and territory the system would actually defend.

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USS Harry S. Truman to Receive $5.1 Billion Mid-Life Nuclear Refueling and Overhaul Through 2031

The U.S. Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding a contract for the USS Harry S. Truman’s mid-life nuclear refueling and complex overhaul, scheduled through November 2031. The work is intended to extend the aircraft carrier into the second half of its service life, while the shipyard also advances CVN-79 testing and crew familiarization.

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Trump’s Golden Dome Missile Shield Faces Congressional Funding Delays

A Space Force general has disclosed limited details about the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile-defense program as its funding remains stalled in Congress ahead of the midterm elections. The impasse introduces uncertainty around the initiative’s scope, schedule and near-term execution.

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