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Breaking Defense • Michael Marrow, Valerie Insinna

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis Budd is sponsoring a trio of bills aimed at boosting fighter-jet inventory and retaining pilots, with implications for multi-year procurement plans that could shape future U.S. Air Force force structure. The effort is positioned as adding airpower support through the NDAA pipeline.

2026-05-18T06:39:14.032488-07:00

DefenseNews.com

Pentagon rolls out framework and annual buys for 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles plus 500 hypersonics

2026-05-13T09:09:38.870409-07:00

tass.com

Russia moves Sarmat ICBM toward operational deployment after successful RS-28 test; Putin links timing to broader ‘final stages’

2026-05-12T08:11:54.293237-07:00

Aviacionline

Argentina grounds A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet to make way for F-16M Fighting Falcon integration

2026-05-14T09:32:03.466000-07:00

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Breaking Defense

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis Budd is sponsoring a trio of bills aimed at boosting fighter-jet inventory and retaining pilots, with implications for multi-year procurement plans that could shape future U.S. Air Force force structure. The effort is positioned as adding airpower support through the NDAA pipeline.

2026-05-18T06:39:14.032488-07:00

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

CNBC

Defense stocks slide: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF down ~10% since early March The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF has fallen roughly 10% since the start of March, signaling renewed pressure on listed aerospace and defense equities. The move follows a period when defense-linked suppliers and industrials had been supported by strong demand expectations.

2026-05-15T01:27:55.852642-07:00

Defense stocks slide: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF down ~10% since early March

SpaceNews.com

Golden Dome chief disputes CBO’s $1.2T cost estimate for space-based missile defense U.S. Space Force Golden Dome program director Michael Guetlein challenged a Congressional Budget Office estimate pegging the program’s cost at $1.2 trillion. Speaking at Washington’s “Inside the Dome” conference, he argued the estimate does not reflect the program’s affordability and scaling path.

2026-05-14T10:36:53.949538-07:00

Golden Dome chief disputes CBO’s $1.2T cost estimate for space-based missile defense

Aviacionline

Argentina grounds A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet to make way for F-16M Fighting Falcon integration The Argentine Air Force has formally retired the A-4AR Fightinghawk fighter-bombers, ending nearly three decades of service. The service says the decision is tied to sustainability and logistic/cost criteria as it shifts institutional resources to the incoming F-16M Fighting Falcon.

2026-05-14T09:32:03.466000-07:00

Argentina grounds A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet to make way for F-16M Fighting Falcon integration

AeroTime

Swiss Patriot program faces 50%+ cost overrun risk, Bern weighs cancellation Switzerland is preparing for Patriot-related cost overruns of more than 50%, with the total bill potentially doubling to CHF 4 billion as the government in Bern considers cancellation. The decision highlights how affordability pressures and rising program costs are reshaping Swiss air-defense planning.

2026-05-14T01:11:46.388641-07:00

Swiss Patriot program faces 50%+ cost overrun risk, Bern weighs cancellation

Breaking Defense

CNO flags Navy financial constraints this summer amid ongoing operations; carrier maintenance expected to rise for USS Gerald R. Navy leadership expects funding pressure this summer driven by current operations, with knock-on effects for carrier readiness. For USS Gerald R. Ford, the service anticipates increased maintenance requirements as the ship remains tied to an extended deployment cycle, compounding strain on availability and sustainment planning.

2026-05-13T10:36:14.942145-07:00

CNO flags Navy financial constraints this summer amid ongoing operations; carrier maintenance expected to rise for USS Gerald R.

DefenseNews.com

❗️

Pentagon rolls out framework and annual buys for 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles plus 500 hypersonics The Pentagon announced framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5 to develop and accelerate production of 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles, alongside plans to buy 500 hypersonic missiles annually. The awards expand the industrial base, with the U.S. Army set to procure 3,000 containerized Barracuda 500M cruise missiles from Anduril.

2026-05-13T09:09:38.870409-07:00

Pentagon rolls out framework and annual buys for 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles plus 500 hypersonics

The War Zone

Pentagon weighs restoring E-7 Wedgetail radar priority after E-3 AWACS loss in Iranian attack The Pentagon is reconsidering the Air Force’s radar/AEW&C posture following the loss of an E-3 Sentry to an Iranian attack, with E-7s viewed as the needed replacement for the dwindling, aging E-3 fleet. The reassessment underscores how combat attrition is driving near-term radar capacity decisions.

2026-05-12T15:57:14.830076-07:00

Pentagon weighs restoring E-7 Wedgetail radar priority after E-3 AWACS loss in Iranian attack

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Defense Budgets & Spending News

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

Pentagon rolls out framework and annual buys for 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles plus 500 hypersonics

Russia moves Sarmat ICBM toward operational deployment after successful RS-28 test; Putin links timing to broader ‘final stages’

Argentina grounds A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet to make way for F-16M Fighting Falcon integration

News Timeline