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FlightGlobal • Ryan Finnerty

Report: US loses or severely damages 42 aircraft in Iran bombing campaign; includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper and seven KC-135 tankers

A report says the US military lost or suffered significant damage to 42 aircraft during an aerial bombing campaign against Iran amid a tenuous ceasefire. The tally includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper drones, seven KC-135 tankers, and several fighter types, underscoring combat attrition risks to high-tempo air operations.

2026-05-18T10:39:20.544451-07:00

Breaking Defense

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

2026-05-18T06:39:14.032488-07:00

AeroTime

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026)

2026-05-18T06:53:42.129211-07:00

SpaceNews.com

York Space Systems defends growth as SDA restructuring reshapes Pentagon demand

2026-05-16T15:08:52.224700-07:00

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FlightGlobal

Report: US loses or severely damages 42 aircraft in Iran bombing campaign; includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper and seven KC-135 tankers A report says the US military lost or suffered significant damage to 42 aircraft during an aerial bombing campaign against Iran amid a tenuous ceasefire. The tally includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper drones, seven KC-135 tankers, and several fighter types, underscoring combat attrition risks to high-tempo air operations.

2026-05-18T10:39:20.544451-07:00

Report: US loses or severely damages 42 aircraft in Iran bombing campaign; includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper and seven KC-135 tankers

AeroTime

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026) Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) will host the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) in Adelaide from Aug. 4–6, 2026. The event will bring government, academia and industry leaders together to discuss defense innovation, including AI-enabled air battle management training.

2026-05-18T06:53:42.129211-07:00

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026)

Breaking Defense

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis Budd is sponsoring a trio of bills aimed at boosting fighter-jet inventory and retaining pilots, with implications for multi-year procurement plans that could shape future U.S. Air Force force structure. The effort is positioned as adding airpower support through the NDAA pipeline.

2026-05-18T06:39:14.032488-07:00

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

SpaceNews.com

York Space Systems defends growth as SDA restructuring reshapes Pentagon demand York Space Systems is confronting a core business-model test as its Pentagon program underpinning earlier growth is reorganized. The company is defending its strategy amid changes to Space Development Agency (SDA) programming, which alters how and where spacecraft and related capabilities will be procured.

2026-05-16T15:08:52.224700-07:00

York Space Systems defends growth as SDA restructuring reshapes Pentagon demand

DefenseNews.com

US Army’s 7th Infantry Division and 1st Multi-Domain Task Force to merge under Multi-Domain Command–Pacific The US Army will consolidate its 7th Infantry Division’s Stryker infantry brigades and a combat aviation brigade with the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force into a single structure: Multi-Domain Command–Pacific.

2026-05-15T15:38:43.413989-07:00

US Army’s 7th Infantry Division and 1st Multi-Domain Task Force to merge under Multi-Domain Command–Pacific

Space Intel Report

CSpO member states to reassess whether Combined Space Operations is “fit for purpose” against fast-evolving threats The 10 nations in the Combined Space Operations initiative (CSpO) have agreed to review whether the alliance remains adequate for today’s rapidly changing space threat environment, according to statements from multiple member participants in Amsterdam. The reassessment underscores pressure to validate mission roles, readiness, and operational approach.

2026-05-15T13:54:17.307676-07:00

CSpO member states to reassess whether Combined Space Operations is “fit for purpose” against fast-evolving threats

The War Zone

Photos confirm AIM-260A JATM air-to-air missile in flight-test configuration on U.S. Navy F/A-18F AIM-260A—Lockheed’s longer-range successor to the AIM-120 AMRAAM—has surfaced in the first publicly captured imagery. The missile was photographed during a test flight from Eglin Air Force Base, carried by a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet, showing an AIM-260A in a flight-test configuration.

2026-05-15T11:01:11.571863-07:00

Photos confirm AIM-260A JATM air-to-air missile in flight-test configuration on U.S. Navy F/A-18F

FlightGlobal

Project NYX: UK selects 4 firms to develop an Apache “loyal wingman” autonomous collaborative platform, down-selecting Anduril U The UK Ministry of Defence has advanced Project NYX by selecting four companies—BAE Systems (UK), Anduril UK, Tekever, and Thales—for a concept demonstrator to field autonomous, uncrewed “wingmen” operating alongside AH-64 Apache helicopters. In the next phase, MOD down-selected Anduril UK for development toward operational capability by 2030.

2026-05-15T04:38:12.321145-07:00

Project NYX: UK selects 4 firms to develop an Apache “loyal wingman” autonomous collaborative platform, down-selecting Anduril U

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Defense Policy News

Report: US loses or severely damages 42 aircraft in Iran bombing campaign; includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper and seven KC-135 tankers

Sen. Budd pushes NDAA-backed multi-year buys for F-35 and F-15EX plus pilot retention measures

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026)

York Space Systems defends growth as SDA restructuring reshapes Pentagon demand

News Timeline