The War Zone
• Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway
The U.S. Air Force is seeking gun systems capable of countering drones and cruise missiles to protect its overseas installations. The request comes as the service assumes greater responsibility for air defense at forward bases, signaling increased emphasis on defending deployed infrastructure against low-cost and stand-off threats.
Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons
Latest source-backed stories
The U.S. Air Force is seeking gun systems capable of countering drones and cruise missiles to protect its overseas installations. The request comes as the service assumes greater responsibility for air defense at forward bases, signaling increased emphasis on defending deployed infrastructure against low-cost and stand-off threats.
President Donald Trump is seeking billions in private-sector investment for the Golden Dome missile-defense vision, with SpaceX and Anduril among the companies wagering on technologies that remain unproven. The effort would link commercial aerospace and defense ambitions to a major national-security initiative.
U.S. intelligence identified in mid-February 2024 that Russia was developing a non-operational, space-based nuclear anti-satellite capability, while Moscow dismissed the claim as fabricated. The report underscores the strain on existing arms-control frameworks governing nuclear weapons and military activity in space.
India’s air force has tested a locally produced long-range glide bomb offered in four sizes, according to the report. The munition’s stated ability to operate in GPS-denied environments points to a focus on retaining precision-strike capability when satellite navigation is disrupted or unavailable.
Ukraine’s air force is tracking incoming missile shipments closely as it manages a shortage affecting its F-16 fleet. The limited supply has made deliveries time-critical, with commanders uncertain whether replenishment will arrive before Russia’s next aerial barrage.
Ukraine’s intelligence service says it has mapped the production chain for Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile and identified U.S.-origin electronics inside the weapon. The findings challenge Moscow’s claims about Zircon’s capabilities while highlighting the technology and supply-chain dependencies underpinning Russia’s strategic weapons production.
Japan describes the ASM-3 Kai as an “air-to-surface/anti-air” weapon, suggesting the supersonic cruise missile could be intended to counter large, high-value airborne targets in addition to its established anti-ship mission. The designation points to a potentially broader role for Japan’s air-launched strike arsenal.
High activity
The Pentagon has signed seven-year framework agreements with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and Lockheed Martin to expand the industrial base for air-defense interceptors. The deals target a tripling of Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement production capacity and a fourfold increase in THAAD missile output.
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