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DefenseNews.com • Brooke Griswold

SpaceX and Blue Origin shift to lunar development as Pentagon advances 'Golden Dome'

SpaceX and Blue Origin have shifted priorities toward lunar development just as the Department of Defense advances its 'Golden Dome' next‑generation missile‑defence concept. The concurrence is creating fresh commercial pathways and defence procurement signals as government needs intersect with lunar infrastructure and on‑orbit capability demands.

2026-02-19T11:06:44.179640-08:00

politico.eu

USS Gerald R. Ford Anchors Major U.S. Carrier and Air Buildup in the Middle East as Tensions With Iran Rise

2026-02-19T06:11:12.857821-08:00

DefenseNews.com

U.S. Navy pursues longer‑range air‑launched anti‑radiation missile (AESM) for F/A‑18, EA‑18G and F‑35

2026-02-19T07:37:34.371793-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Golden Dome at Risk: Why It Needs Software‑Defined Warfare

2026-02-19T06:33:12.830810-08:00

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SpaceX and Blue Origin shift to lunar development as Pentagon advances 'Golden Dome' SpaceX and Blue Origin have shifted priorities toward lunar development just as the Department of Defense advances its 'Golden Dome' next‑generation missile‑defence concept. The concurrence is creating fresh commercial pathways and defence procurement signals as government needs intersect with lunar infrastructure and on‑orbit capability demands.

2026-02-19T11:06:44.179640-08:00

SpaceX and Blue Origin shift to lunar development as Pentagon advances 'Golden Dome'

The War Zone

Top Aces fits AESA, IRST, HMD and Link 16 to its F‑16 aggressors Top Aces has upgraded its F‑16 aggressor fleet with an AESA radar, IRST, helmet‑mounted display and an open‑architecture mission system, and added Link 16. The package networks sensors and situational awareness into adversary aircraft to deliver higher‑fidelity, data‑linked red‑air training.

2026-02-19T10:13:33.612312-08:00

Top Aces fits AESA, IRST, HMD and Link 16 to its F‑16 aggressors

DefenseNews.com

U.S. Navy pursues longer‑range air‑launched anti‑radiation missile (AESM) for F/A‑18, EA‑18G and F‑35 The U.S. Navy on Feb. 19 solicited solutions and is developing an Air‑Launched Extended‑Range Anti‑Radiation Missile (AESM) to defeat modern radars. Intended for F/A‑18E/F, EA‑18G and F‑35 integration, the program targets initial deployment within two years and buys in the hundreds per year.

2026-02-19T07:37:34.371793-08:00

U.S. Navy pursues longer‑range air‑launched anti‑radiation missile (AESM) for F/A‑18, EA‑18G and F‑35

SpaceNews.com

Golden Dome at Risk: Why It Needs Software‑Defined Warfare Golden Dome's missile‑defense architecture needs a software‑defined warfare approach to stay effective against rapidly evolving threats. Without modular, updatable software, robust networking and dynamic battle management it risks rapid obsolescence, degraded sensor fusion and operational failure when facing contested, adaptive adversaries.

2026-02-19T06:33:12.830810-08:00

Golden Dome at Risk: Why It Needs Software‑Defined Warfare

politico.eu

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USS Gerald R. Ford Anchors Major U.S. Carrier and Air Buildup in the Middle East as Tensions With Iran Rise The U.S. is positioning the nuclear carrier USS Gerald R. Ford as the keystone of a reinforced Middle East naval presence, dispatching two carrier strike groups alongside fighters, tankers and a substantial AWACS deployment. The moves coincide with intensified U.S. diplomatic pressure on Iran amid a heightened standoff.

2026-02-19T06:11:12.857821-08:00

USS Gerald R. Ford Anchors Major U.S. Carrier and Air Buildup in the Middle East as Tensions With Iran Rise

AeroTime

Airbus warns uncrewed FCAS could create capability gap after Merz questions crewed sixth‑gen fighter Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury warned that pursuing an uncrewed Future Combat Air System after Chancellor Merz publicly questioned the Luftwaffe’s need for a crewed sixth‑generation fighter risks creating a capability gap, and could have significant industrial and operational consequences for Europe.

2026-02-19T04:35:16.328253-08:00

Airbus warns uncrewed FCAS could create capability gap after Merz questions crewed sixth‑gen fighter

SpaceWatch Global

Stop Hugging, Start Communicating: Europe’s Space Autonomy Debate at MSC 2026 The 62nd Munich Security Conference emerged as a practical forum for Europe’s space‑autonomy debate, moving policymakers and industry from rhetoric to concrete coordination on sovereign capabilities, security and cross‑border programme delivery. MSC 2026 signalled a renewed drive to operationalise initiatives long discussed in Brussels.

2026-02-19T03:35:18.849260-08:00

Stop Hugging, Start Communicating: Europe’s Space Autonomy Debate at MSC 2026

DefenseNews.com

USAF FY2021 budget trims B-1, A-10 and Global Hawk fleets but stops short of full divestment The Air Force's FY2021 budget request proposes reductions to the B-1 bomber, A-10 close-air-support fleet and RQ-4 Global Hawk inventories, accelerating retirements of selected airframes while retaining residual capability. The service framed cuts as force‑structure realignment rather than total divestment to preserve core capacity.

2026-02-19T03:00:50.243389-08:00

USAF FY2021 budget trims B-1, A-10 and Global Hawk fleets but stops short of full divestment

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Defense Policy News

SpaceX and Blue Origin shift to lunar development as Pentagon advances 'Golden Dome'

USS Gerald R. Ford Anchors Major U.S. Carrier and Air Buildup in the Middle East as Tensions With Iran Rise

U.S. Navy pursues longer‑range air‑launched anti‑radiation missile (AESM) for F/A‑18, EA‑18G and F‑35

Golden Dome at Risk: Why It Needs Software‑Defined Warfare

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