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Aviation Week • Steve Trimble

USAF awards Aevex $18.5M for autonomous one-way attack drones and support services

The US Air Force has awarded Aevex an $18.5 million contract for autonomous one-way attack drones and related engineering/support services. Aevex says it has previously supplied thousands of similar systems to Ukraine, positioning the award as continued scaling of expendable UAS strike capability for the service.

2026-05-13T11:36:11.175536-07:00

CNBC

Japan’s defense industry may be poised for a global breakout—question is whether it can scale like South Korea

2026-05-13T17:55:26.352438-07:00

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

SpaceNews.com

Northrop Grumman’s LR-450 targets GPS-denied navigation for mid-size satellites

2026-05-13T07:26:11.975612-07:00

News Timeline

CNBC

Japan’s defense industry may be poised for a global breakout—question is whether it can scale like South Korea A new assessment asks whether Japan can evolve from a capable but domestically oriented defense industrial base into a true international export player, comparable to South Korea. The cluster frames Japan’s global defense ambitions as a potential “breakout” moment for the sector.

2026-05-13T17:55:26.352438-07:00

Japan’s defense industry may be poised for a global breakout—question is whether it can scale like South Korea

Breaking Defense

L3Harris’ Wraith Shield update repurposes existing antennas to detect and jam hostile drone control signals L3Harris says its forthcoming Wraith Shield software update will use existing antennas to scan for drone command-and-control signals, identify enemy ones, and jam them. Executives characterized the upgrade as a software-driven enhancement to counter-drone electronic warfare capability without new hardware changes.

2026-05-13T12:55:41.545022-07:00

L3Harris’ Wraith Shield update repurposes existing antennas to detect and jam hostile drone control signals

Aviation Week

USAF awards Aevex $18.5M for autonomous one-way attack drones and support services The US Air Force has awarded Aevex an $18.5 million contract for autonomous one-way attack drones and related engineering/support services. Aevex says it has previously supplied thousands of similar systems to Ukraine, positioning the award as continued scaling of expendable UAS strike capability for the service.

2026-05-13T11:36:11.175536-07:00

USAF awards Aevex $18.5M for autonomous one-way attack drones and support services

DefenseNews.com

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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

SpaceNews.com

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Northrop Grumman’s LR-450 targets GPS-denied navigation for mid-size satellites Northrop Grumman is rolling out the LR-450, a compact inertial positioning and navigation system derived from James Webb Space Telescope guidance technologies. The LR-450 is designed to provide continuous, precise spacecraft tracking and orientation even when external satellite signals are unavailable, addressing weakened navigation coverage beyond Earth orbit.

2026-05-13T07:26:11.975612-07:00

Northrop Grumman’s LR-450 targets GPS-denied navigation for mid-size satellites

Axios

U.S. Air Force seeks Northrop Grumman electronic-attack jammer upgrades for F-16 fleet The U.S. Air Force is pursuing a Northrop Grumman electronic-attack jammer upgrade intended for F-16 modernization, positioning fourth-generation fighters to carry “sixth-generation electronic warfare” capabilities on existing airframes. The effort underscores continued investment in electronic suppression as a near-term force-multiplier.

2026-05-13T07:06:23.133270-07:00

U.S. Air Force seeks Northrop Grumman electronic-attack jammer upgrades for F-16 fleet

FlightGlobal

Leading Edge Aviation to expand UK MoD basic pilot training using DA40/DA42 aircraft Oxford-based Leading Edge Aviation will provide additional UK Ministry of Defence pilot-training capacity under a new arrangement, delivering instruction for up to 34 pilots. The provider will expand its services using Diamond Aircraft DA40 and DA42 platforms, adding to the MoD’s basic training throughput.

2026-05-13T03:15:15.550059-07:00

Leading Edge Aviation to expand UK MoD basic pilot training using DA40/DA42 aircraft

FlightGlobal

Strong commercial and defense demand lifts Japanese aerospace suppliers in FY2025 Japanese aerospace suppliers posted strong FY2025 (ended 31 March) revenues and profitability, supported by resilient commercial and defense demand. The results reinforce that both end-markets are currently acting as stabilizers for industrial performance across Japan’s aerospace value chain.

2026-05-13T01:57:10.656800-07:00

Strong commercial and defense demand lifts Japanese aerospace suppliers in FY2025

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Defense Industry & Major Contractors News

USAF awards Aevex $18.5M for autonomous one-way attack drones and support services

Japan’s defense industry may be poised for a global breakout—question is whether it can scale like South Korea

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

Northrop Grumman’s LR-450 targets GPS-denied navigation for mid-size satellites

News Timeline