Payload
• Douglas Gorman
At the first International Space Summit in Paris, EU officials framed space as central to Europe’s security, with Commissioner Andrius Kubilius proposing that half of the bloc’s €131 billion seven-year defense and space budget go to space programs. France and Germany emphasized cooperation despite unresolved differences.
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At the first International Space Summit in Paris, EU officials framed space as central to Europe’s security, with Commissioner Andrius Kubilius proposing that half of the bloc’s €131 billion seven-year defense and space budget go to space programs. France and Germany emphasized cooperation despite unresolved differences.
The United States has finalized a $4 billion military financing loan for Poland. Warsaw has not disclosed how the funds will be allocated, but the financing could support the acquisition of 32 additional F-35s tied to Poland’s air-superiority requirements.
Defense startup Covenant has emerged from stealth with more than $250 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund and Lux Capital. The company says its Anthem weapon has completed 200 flights and is targeting U.S. production of 5,000 units annually from a Texas factory.
India’s Defence Acquisition Council has approved proposals worth ₹1.1 lakh crore, taking approvals this year to ₹1.6 lakh crore and those since 2025 to ₹13 lakh crore. The package includes long-range hypersonic weapons, Sukhoi-30 upgrades, mine-laying systems, indigenous warship engines and continued AMCA development.
The average flyaway cost of the F-35A and F-35B increased by more than 11% compared with recent contracts, while the F-35C’s price rose by more than 8%, according to figures provided by the F-35 Joint Program Office. The increases affect the program’s latest production lots.
Congress is considering funding for Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail, the airborne early warning and control aircraft slated to replace the aging E-3 Sentry. The effort places the program’s future in the legislative process as lawmakers weigh resources for a next-generation command-and-control capability.
The Space Force estimates Boeing’s seven-satellite Evolved Strategic SATCOM program at $11.6 billion while preparing to add launch providers to National Security Space Launch and steer SBIR awards toward operational needs. Separately, the Air Force awarded about $766 million for B-52H radar and modernization work.
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