Defense Budgets & Spending News

Reuters

Ukraine reports 48,000 tactical drones neutralized in September as Russian jet-powered attacks drive calls for new interception

Ukraine’s defense ministry says its forces destroyed more than 4,700 hostile drones and missiles aimed at strategic targets in September, while the Air Force reports neutralizing at least 48,000 tactical-level uncrewed systems. In a separate overnight attack, Ukraine said Russia launched 108 Shahed-type drones, including 74 jet-powered versions.

SpaceNews.com

Space Force faces a workforce challenge as its budget grows

The U.S. Space Force is preparing to test whether it can expand its workforce nearly as quickly as its budget. The challenge is not funding alone: building and retaining the personnel needed to execute the service’s growing mission may prove harder than securing resources.

Payload

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.

Navy Times

High activity

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.

FlightGlobal

Indian air force chief says service needs 40 new fighters annually to reach 42.5-squadron goal

India’s air force chief says the service needs 40 new fighters each year, while reaching its stated aspiration of 42.5 squadrons remains a distant prospect — if it is achieved at all. The remarks underscore the scale of the gap between the force’s target and its current trajectory.

eVTOL Insights

Amprius wins up to $75 million U.S. grant to convert EV battery line for drone cells

Amprius Technologies will use an award of up to $75 million from the U.S. Department of War to convert an existing electric-vehicle battery production line to manufacture high-energy-density cells for unmanned aerial systems.

SpaceNews.com

High activity

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.

SpaceNews.com

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.