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DefenseNews.com • Nathan Strout

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

DefenseNews.com

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

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

DefenseNews.com

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

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

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

2026-04-23T07:06:31.591099-07:00

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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

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force general says COVID-19 has “temporarily” derailed Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) The Air Force’s top general said the Advanced Battle Management System program has been thrown off schedule by the COVID-19 pandemic, but expects it to regain momentum once conditions stabilize. The remarks frame ABMS schedule recovery as tied directly to broader post-pandemic normalization.

2026-04-23T14:24:39.338282-07:00

US Air Force general says COVID-19 has “temporarily” derailed Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)

DefenseNews.com

Omnibus bill conditions Air Force JSTARS recap cancellation: report plus reprogramming request required before funds move A new U.S. omnibus bill would block the Air Force from transferring money tied to the cancelled JSTARS recap program unless it submits a required report and a reprogramming request. Congress is effectively adding procedural hurdles, tightening oversight around how redirected defense funds are used.

2026-04-23T07:06:33.695539-07:00

Omnibus bill conditions Air Force JSTARS recap cancellation: report plus reprogramming request required before funds move

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays The US Air Force added new deficiencies to the KC-46 aerial-refuelling tanker program, compounding ongoing technical shortfalls. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told lawmakers she is frustrated with Boeing’s delays and said the company has been “overly optimistic” about fixing issues.

2026-04-23T07:06:31.591099-07:00

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

SpaceNews.com

Pentagon asks Congress for $2.3B over five years to scale Palantir’s Maven AI battlefield system The Pentagon is seeking $2.3 billion from Congress over the next five years to expand Maven Smart System, a Palantir-developed platform that has helped integrate AI into frontline operations. The request signals continued investment in AI-enabled targeting and mission systems as the department scales battlefield data/decision tools.

2026-04-23T07:05:54.150726-07:00

Pentagon asks Congress for $2.3B over five years to scale Palantir’s Maven AI battlefield system

FlightGlobal

US State Department clears $414M missile sales: 530 AGM-114R2 Hellfires and 152 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinders to Netherlands and L The U.S. State Department approved a combined USD414 million Foreign Military Sales package bolstering European air and ground strike and self-protection. The Netherlands will buy 530 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles with technical assistance, while Lithuania is cleared for 152 RTX AIM-9X Block II Sidewinders and related equipment.

2026-04-22T22:50:41.243490-07:00

US State Department clears $414M missile sales: 530 AGM-114R2 Hellfires and 152 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinders to Netherlands and L

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Defense Budgets & Spending News

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

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

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

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

News Timeline