FlightGlobal
• Brooke Ingemi
Kratos and GE Aerospace successfully ignited the first GEK800 turbofan propulsion system at Kratos’ X-58 test facility in San Diego. The milestone opens a broader testing campaign and keeps the cruise missile engine program on schedule as it moves toward large-volume production.
Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons
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North Korean state media says the country launched a new missile type on Sept. 20 fitted with what it described as a hypersonic glide vehicle. The claim points to continued development of maneuverable high-speed weapons, although the report provides no independent confirmation of the test’s performance or capability.
Kratos and GE Aerospace successfully ignited the first GEK800 turbofan propulsion system at Kratos’ X-58 test facility in San Diego. The milestone opens a broader testing campaign and keeps the cruise missile engine program on schedule as it moves toward large-volume production.
North Korea says its latest missile tests involved a weapons system of “great significance,” while released imagery indicates the launch involved a missile previously described as hypersonic. The announcement highlights Pyongyang’s continued development and publicization of advanced missile capabilities.
Lockheed Martin will enter production of the Precision Strike Missile Increment 2 after a successful test against moving maritime targets, under a U.S. Army indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $1.2 billion. The agreement advances PrSM’s anti-ship and moving land-target capability while further flight testing continues.
SES will oversee construction and provide payloads for 18 MEO satellites in Europe’s secure Iris² constellation, while U.S. agencies advance contracts and infrastructure for missile-warning and tracking systems, including BAE Systems’ 10-spacecraft MEO Epoch 2 program and new resilient LEO ground entry points.
The Pentagon is planning a phased buildout of the Golden Dome missile-defense architecture through 2035, signaling a long-term implementation effort rather than a single procurement event. The timeline points to sustained requirements for funding, technology development, industrial capacity and integration across the defense enterprise.
Ballistic missiles and drones struck near Riyadh’s international airport, setting storage tanks alight and sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky. The incident followed Saudi Arabia’s first overnight air-raid alert since fighting in neighboring Yemen intensified this month, prompting emergency firefighting response.
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A missile reportedly struck a fuel storage tank at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, generating a large plume of black smoke over the Saudi capital. The projectile is believed to have been fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen as hostilities between the sides intensify.
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