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DefenseNews.com • Valerie Insinna

Northrop could win up to $85B for GBSD next-gen ICBMs, targeting an earlier fielding via accelerated contracting

Northrop is positioned to receive an approximately $85 billion award for the U.S. Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program earlier than expected, contingent on continued access to secure facilities. The timing would compress the path to next‑generation ICBM production and deployment.

2026-04-25T10:05:28.328266-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Space Force awards $3.2B contract set to 12 firms for Golden Dome space-based interceptor prototypes

2026-04-24T16:24:07.924039-07:00

Payload

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00

DefenseNews.com

Feinstein to seek block of Air Force nuclear-capable cruise missile program funding

2026-04-23T17:49:33.429882-07:00

News Timeline

DefenseNews.com

Northrop could win up to $85B for GBSD next-gen ICBMs, targeting an earlier fielding via accelerated contracting Northrop is positioned to receive an approximately $85 billion award for the U.S. Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program earlier than expected, contingent on continued access to secure facilities. The timing would compress the path to next‑generation ICBM production and deployment.

2026-04-25T10:05:28.328266-07:00

Northrop could win up to $85B for GBSD next-gen ICBMs, targeting an earlier fielding via accelerated contracting

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force to spend $25M on WaRTAK multidomain convoy communications and situational awareness upgrade The US Air Force will award $25 million for new hardware under its WaRTAK program, which combines multidomain communications with a situational awareness system in a single package to support convoys while on the move.

2026-04-25T10:05:26.047547-07:00

US Air Force to spend $25M on WaRTAK multidomain convoy communications and situational awareness upgrade

SpaceNews.com

Space Force awards $3.2B contract set to 12 firms for Golden Dome space-based interceptor prototypes The U.S. Space Force selected 12 companies to develop space-based interceptor (SBI) prototypes under President Trump’s Golden Dome missile-defense initiative, awarding a total of $3.2 billion. The program targets an initial operational capability in 2028, even as the service frames boost-phase intercept affordability as a gating factor.

2026-04-24T16:24:07.924039-07:00

Space Force awards $3.2B contract set to 12 firms for Golden Dome space-based interceptor prototypes

Payload

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome Astra’s CEO Chris Kemp says the company will use “clay-pigeon” rocket target launches to drive scale and lower unit costs for both commercial and government customers. The approach aligns with the Pentagon’s Golden Dome space-based air and missile-defense concept, where realistic target practice is critical for validating intercept and tracking architectures.

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

DefenseNews.com

Feinstein to seek block of Air Force nuclear-capable cruise missile program funding Sen. Dianne Feinstein plans to introduce an effort to block funding for the U.S. Air Force’s new nuclear-capable cruise missile program. The move targets the program’s budget outlays and adds political friction as lawmakers consider how the capability should proceed.

2026-04-23T17:49:33.429882-07:00

Feinstein to seek block of Air Force nuclear-capable cruise missile program funding

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force issues 28 Advanced Battle Management System contracts, targeting up to ~$1B per award The US Air Force has issued 28 contracts tied to the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), with individual awards valued at up to nearly $1 billion each. Air Force officials also note they requested $3.3 billion to spend on ABMS over the next five years in the president’s fiscal 2021 budget request.

2026-04-23T15:06:02.502542-07:00

US Air Force issues 28 Advanced Battle Management System contracts, targeting up to ~$1B per award

DefenseNews.com

Italy F-35 commitment holds after Five Star pushes to pause purchases for a year Italy’s defense minister, Lorenzo Guerini, said the country will “confirm that the program would continue” after pressure from the Five Star party to halt F-35 purchases for a year to fund a coronavirus rebound.

2026-04-23T15:06:02.423507-07:00

Italy F-35 commitment holds after Five Star pushes to pause purchases for a year

DefenseNews.com

US Navy weighs cutting Super Hornet production in FY2022 amid uncertainty over whether near-term output can sustain carrier air The US Navy plans to curtail Super Hornet production in fiscal 2022, but it’s unclear whether the move will succeed in meeting operational and industrial-base requirements. The decision sits at a broader inflection point for carrier aviation modernization—balancing legacy sustainment against next-generation fighter priorities.

2026-04-23T15:05:58.104161-07:00

US Navy weighs cutting Super Hornet production in FY2022 amid uncertainty over whether near-term output can sustain carrier air

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Northrop could win up to $85B for GBSD next-gen ICBMs, targeting an earlier fielding via accelerated contracting

Space Force awards $3.2B contract set to 12 firms for Golden Dome space-based interceptor prototypes

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

Feinstein to seek block of Air Force nuclear-capable cruise missile program funding

News Timeline