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Aviation Week • Graham Warwick

DARPA designates LongShot as X‑68A and advances missile‑carrying air‑launched drone toward 2026 flight tests

DARPA has designated its LongShot air‑launched, missile‑carrying uncrewed system as the X‑68A after hitting technical milestones and is moving toward flight testing by the end of 2026. Developed by General Atomics, the X‑68A is intended to extend fighter, bomber and cargo aircraft combat reach while reducing crew vulnerability.

2026-02-17T06:11:19.361596-08:00

Breaking Defense

USAF revokes Milestone B for LGM-35A 'Sentinel', restructures program with IOC now targeted early 2030s

2026-02-17T08:53:48.149477-08:00

Bloomberg

Pentagon: RTX improves but still falls short on critical Navy missile deliveries

2026-02-17T13:06:08.858074-08:00

Bloomberg

Powerlaw files to list in New York to retail shares in fund holding stakes in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI and Anduril

2026-02-17T12:05:15.214652-08:00

News Timeline

Bloomberg

Pentagon: RTX improves but still falls short on critical Navy missile deliveries A Pentagon assessment says RTX has improved its ability to deliver a critical missile for the U.S. Navy, but the company's performance remains below expectations — a finding that follows President Trump publicly singling out the contractor amid broader political pressure on defense firms.

2026-02-17T13:06:08.858074-08:00

Pentagon: RTX improves but still falls short on critical Navy missile deliveries

Bloomberg

Powerlaw files to list in New York to retail shares in fund holding stakes in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI and Anduril Powerlaw Corp., a fund with stakes in SpaceX, Anduril, OpenAI and Anthropic PBC, has filed to list in New York to sell shares to the public. The move would give retail investors a route to gain liquid exposure to prominent private companies across space, defense and artificial intelligence.

2026-02-17T12:05:15.214652-08:00

Powerlaw files to list in New York to retail shares in fund holding stakes in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI and Anduril

The Aviationist

Japan unveils EC-2 stand‑off jammer based on Kawasaki C‑2 to replace EC‑1 Japan has revealed the EC‑2 stand‑off jammer, an electronic‑warfare aircraft derived from the Kawasaki C‑2 transport that will replace the unique EC‑1 platform in service since 1986. It keeps a transport‑airframe approach to electronic attack, prioritizing range, payload and domestic industrial continuity.

2026-02-17T11:30:15.513613-08:00

Japan unveils EC-2 stand‑off jammer based on Kawasaki C‑2 to replace EC‑1

CBS News

USAF rolls out red, white, dark blue and gold livery across executive airlift, including next‑gen Air Force One The U.S. Air Force has introduced a new red, white, dark blue and gold paint scheme for its executive airlift fleet — including the next‑generation VC‑25B Air Force One — and a C‑32A was recently spotted wearing the matching livery, the service said.

2026-02-17T11:21:10.672083-08:00

USAF rolls out red, white, dark blue and gold livery across executive airlift, including next‑gen Air Force One

AeroTime

Venom autonomous strike aircraft completes first flight after 71-day design-to-flight build Divergent Technologies and Mach Industries designed, built and flew the Venom autonomous strike aircraft in 71 days, conducting a first flight that underscores a dramatic acceleration in rapid defense prototyping. The demonstrator highlights industry moves toward compressed development cycles for autonomous armed systems.

2026-02-17T08:54:12.058579-08:00

Venom autonomous strike aircraft completes first flight after 71-day design-to-flight build

Breaking Defense

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USAF revokes Milestone B for LGM-35A 'Sentinel', restructures program with IOC now targeted early 2030s The U.S. Air Force revoked Milestone B for the LGM-35A 'Sentinel' ICBM after a Nunn-McCurdy review and is executing a formal restructure with a rebaseline decision due by end-2026. The program, projected at about $141 billion, now targets an initial capability in the early 2030s and a missile-pad test next year.

2026-02-17T08:53:48.149477-08:00

USAF revokes Milestone B for LGM-35A 'Sentinel', restructures program with IOC now targeted early 2030s

Vertical Mag

BAE Systems names Mona Bates chief information and digital officer, effective Feb. 23, 2026 Mona Bates will join BAE Systems, Inc. as chief information and digital officer, with the appointment effective Feb. 23, 2026. The role consolidates responsibility for the company's information technology, digital transformation and data initiatives across BAE Systems, Inc., the company said.

2026-02-17T06:14:42.364862-08:00

BAE Systems names Mona Bates chief information and digital officer, effective Feb. 23, 2026

Aviation Week

DARPA designates LongShot as X‑68A and advances missile‑carrying air‑launched drone toward 2026 flight tests DARPA has designated its LongShot air‑launched, missile‑carrying uncrewed system as the X‑68A after hitting technical milestones and is moving toward flight testing by the end of 2026. Developed by General Atomics, the X‑68A is intended to extend fighter, bomber and cargo aircraft combat reach while reducing crew vulnerability.

2026-02-17T06:11:19.361596-08:00

DARPA designates LongShot as X‑68A and advances missile‑carrying air‑launched drone toward 2026 flight tests

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Defense Industry & Major Contractors News

DARPA designates LongShot as X‑68A and advances missile‑carrying air‑launched drone toward 2026 flight tests

USAF revokes Milestone B for LGM-35A 'Sentinel', restructures program with IOC now targeted early 2030s

Pentagon: RTX improves but still falls short on critical Navy missile deliveries

Powerlaw files to list in New York to retail shares in fund holding stakes in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI and Anduril

News Timeline