Defense Budgets & Spending News

Bloomberg • Anthony Capaccio

Pentagon blocks public release of congressionally mandated annual GAO/F-35 cost-and-performance review

For the first time in more than 20 years, the Pentagon is withholding public release of a congressionally mandated annual report assessing the F-35 program. The action limits transparency into the jet’s cost, schedule, delays, and modernization progress, including oversight conducted by the GAO/watchdog process discussed in the cluster.

4 Sources

2026-07-15T02:29:11.394080-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

ESA: Governments invested €119B in space in 2025, per Space Economy Report

2 Sources

2026-07-15T01:14:07.945345-07:00

Reuters

Germany presses for on-time delivery of €10B military satellite program

3 Sources

2026-07-14T08:45:48.692615-07:00

DefenseNews.com

Drone-hunting and counter-UAS scale-up: UK-backed low-cost interceptors, SkyValor at US southern border, and Russia’s A-50U/Su-5

18 Sources

2026-07-13T01:58:52.441116-07:00

Defense Budgets & Spending News Timeline

Bloomberg

4 sources

Pentagon blocks public release of congressionally mandated annual GAO/F-35 cost-and-performance review For the first time in more than 20 years, the Pentagon is withholding public release of a congressionally mandated annual report assessing the F-35 program. The action limits transparency into the jet’s cost, schedule, delays, and modernization progress, including oversight conducted by the GAO/watchdog process discussed in the cluster.

2026-07-15T02:29:11.394080-07:00

Pentagon blocks public release of congressionally mandated annual GAO/F-35 cost-and-performance review

SpaceWatch Global

2 sources

ESA: Governments invested €119B in space in 2025, per Space Economy Report The European Space Agency’s Space Economy Report says governments worldwide invested €119 billion in the space sector in 2025. The figure provides a top-line measure of public funding momentum and signals the scale of state-backed demand shaping space industry planning and procurement.

2026-07-15T01:14:07.945345-07:00

ESA: Governments invested €119B in space in 2025, per Space Economy Report

Breaking Defense

1 source

US Space Force planning for manpower growth: lifting active strength toward 20,000 by 2030 A new article frames the Space Force’s “growing pains” around a major personnel target: doubling the service from roughly 10,000 to 20,000 military members by 2030. It outlines options the next service chief could consider to make that scaling feasible.

2026-07-14T11:30:03.044300-07:00

US Space Force planning for manpower growth: lifting active strength toward 20,000 by 2030

Reuters

3 sources

Germany presses for on-time delivery of €10B military satellite program German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged strict timetable and budget discipline for a planned German military satellite project valued at €10 billion, warning that delays are unacceptable given current security threats. The remarks were made in the context of NATO command-and-control handover activities.

2026-07-14T08:45:48.692615-07:00

Germany presses for on-time delivery of €10B military satellite program

SpaceNews.com

1 source

Europe’s space economy grows on defense-led spending: 2025 outlays rise 12% to €13.5B A July 13 ESA report says European government space spending will climb 12% to €13.5 billion in 2025, reversing a 3% global decline. The uptick is attributed to higher national defense budgets, underscoring defense demand as a key driver of space investment.

2026-07-13T15:30:55.758959-07:00

Europe’s space economy grows on defense-led spending: 2025 outlays rise 12% to €13.5B

Breaking Defense

1 source

Space Force TacRS adds at least three more Victus demonstration projects, seeking $300M from FY2027–2031 The U.S. Space Force’s TacRS program has at least three additional Victus demonstration projects planned, including more Victus Haze activity. The effort includes a combined $300 million request spanning FY2027 through FY2031, aimed at operationally relevant spacecraft experimentation.

2026-07-13T08:16:13.069667-07:00

Space Force TacRS adds at least three more Victus demonstration projects, seeking $300M from FY2027–2031

DefenseNews.com

18 sources

❗️

Drone-hunting and counter-UAS scale-up: UK-backed low-cost interceptors, SkyValor at US southern border, and Russia’s A-50U/Su-5 The UK MoD has awarded GBP 3.16 million to three suppliers to develop low-cost drone interceptors under LCADE, while CACI’s SkyValor C-UAS is set for deployment at the US southern border. On the battlefield, Russia is reportedly using A-50U AWACS and Su-57 fighters to hunt Ukrainian kamikaze drones amid pressure on ground air defenses.

2026-07-13T01:58:52.441116-07:00

Drone-hunting and counter-UAS scale-up: UK-backed low-cost interceptors, SkyValor at US southern border, and Russia’s A-50U/Su-5

Bloomberg

2 sources

Rocket shortage exposes Europe’s gap in indigenous launch capacity for space power projection Global powers are accelerating investment to project military capability in orbit, but Europe faces a strategic disadvantage tied to limited indigenous launch-vehicle capacity. The resulting imbalance risks leaving European defense planning behind competitors in any “space wars” scenario driven by launch throughput.

2026-07-12T21:14:18.684747-07:00

Rocket shortage exposes Europe’s gap in indigenous launch capacity for space power projection

Create a free account to see more recent Defense Budgets & Spending clusters.