SpaceWatch Global
• Christophe Bosquillon
NATO’s DIANA accelerator is identifying promising defense innovators, yet the path from prototype to operational capability remains difficult. Weak customer demand, fragile supply chains and limited skilled labor threaten to prevent emerging technologies from achieving the scale needed for meaningful defense impact.
Defense Policy
Latest source-backed stories
NATO’s DIANA accelerator is identifying promising defense innovators, yet the path from prototype to operational capability remains difficult. Weak customer demand, fragile supply chains and limited skilled labor threaten to prevent emerging technologies from achieving the scale needed for meaningful defense impact.
A new Pentagon inspector general report says casualty-evacuation helicopters were deployed from four countries during the Iran war, while hundreds of U.S. military facilities were destroyed. The findings highlight the scale of operational losses and the logistical challenges of sustaining combat support across the theater.
The Space Force’s new acquisition chief, Hernandez-Baquero, is focused on implementing the service’s recently completed acquisition overhaul. The immediate objective is to accelerate delivery of satellites, weapons and other capabilities while translating organizational changes into operational results.
The U.S. Air Force plans a long-term recapitalization of its aerial-refueling fleet, combining upgrades to existing tankers with the introduction of new platforms. Air Mobility Command Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue said the KC-135 will remain relevant for decades, noting that its last pilot has not yet been born.
Air Force officials say the F-35 demonstrated combat value during Middle East operations, even as GAO found three in four aircraft unable to fly a full mission and sustainment needs reached $13.7 billion. Europe received more than three dozen jets in the past year, while Switzerland’s procurement faces rising costs and contract scrutiny.
Air Force and Space Force leaders are prioritizing faster production and larger inventories of weapons and space capabilities, even as supply-chain constraints continue to limit industrial capacity. The shift puts scalability, manufacturing resilience and the defense sector’s ability to deliver at speed at the center of acquisition strategy.
The U.S. Space Force plans to add 10,000 uniformed personnel over the next five years, effectively doubling its ranks. At the same time, officials are testing redesigned mess dress uniforms, including versions with pockets for women, ahead of a broader rollout.
Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Doug Schiess said the continuing resolution extending through Oct. 1 is protecting near-term funding but creating uncertainty for roughly one in 10 service programs. He urged lawmakers to resolve the budget impasse and approve a full-year appropriation.
Create a free account to see more recent Defense Policy stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
