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Bloomberg • Gerry Doyle

US CENTCOM seeks first operational use of long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile against Iran

US Central Command has asked to deploy the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, including targeting ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country. The request signals a push toward longer-range hypersonic effects in a time-compressed contingency.

2026-04-30T01:10:05.906728-07:00

FlightGlobal

Pentagon estimates Iran war costs at $25B through early campaign weeks, mostly precision munitions—U.S. starts putting battlefie

2026-04-29T19:03:04.888874-07:00

DefenseNews.com

MBDA and Safran complete first live firing test for Thundart long-range rocket artillery, targeting French deployment by 2030

2026-04-29T14:29:45.975317-07:00

The War Zone

Marines float cruise-missile-armed MV-75 tiltrotor replacement concept

2026-04-28T15:04:26.724468-07:00

News Timeline

Bloomberg

US CENTCOM seeks first operational use of long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile against Iran US Central Command has asked to deploy the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, including targeting ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country. The request signals a push toward longer-range hypersonic effects in a time-compressed contingency.

2026-04-30T01:10:05.906728-07:00

US CENTCOM seeks first operational use of long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile against Iran

FlightGlobal

Pentagon estimates Iran war costs at $25B through early campaign weeks, mostly precision munitions—U.S. starts putting battlefie The Pentagon says the U.S. war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, with acting comptroller Jules Hurst III telling lawmakers that the bulk of the figure went to ordnance, including thousands of precision-guided missiles consumed in the early weeks. The disclosure is the first public cost estimate for the campaign.

2026-04-29T19:03:04.888874-07:00

Pentagon estimates Iran war costs at $25B through early campaign weeks, mostly precision munitions—U.S. starts putting battlefie

DefenseNews.com

MBDA and Safran complete first live firing test for Thundart long-range rocket artillery, targeting French deployment by 2030 MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense say the French long-range surface-to-surface rocket artillery system Thundart achieved its first successful firing on April 14 at the Île du Levant test site. The partners position Thundart as fully designed and produced in France, with a 2029 delivery to support French capability fielding by 2030, aligned to the DGA’s FLP-T (land long-range strike) requirement to replace MLRS.

2026-04-29T14:29:45.975317-07:00

MBDA and Safran complete first live firing test for Thundart long-range rocket artillery, targeting French deployment by 2030

The War Zone

Marines float cruise-missile-armed MV-75 tiltrotor replacement concept The U.S. Marine Corps says “everything is on the table” as it explores potential successors to its AH-1 and UH-1 fleets, including a new MV-75 tiltrotor concept shown with cruise-missile armament. The pitch signals a shift toward stand-off, strike-capable rotorcraft aligned to next-generation rotor-wing needs.

2026-04-28T15:04:26.724468-07:00

Marines float cruise-missile-armed MV-75 tiltrotor replacement concept

SpaceNews.com

Startup pitches compact radios to move Golden Dome targeting data between satellites and interceptors A small startup is developing compact radios designed to rapidly transfer targeting data between space assets and missile interceptors, aiming to fill a critical communications link in the Pentagon’s “Golden Dome” missile-defense architecture. The effort targets faster, more survivable data exchange as the network shifts toward distributed space connectivity.

2026-04-28T02:09:29.493095-07:00

Startup pitches compact radios to move Golden Dome targeting data between satellites and interceptors

DefenseNews.com

Laser weapons’ aircraft-carrier fit: high power and constraints High-energy lasers are well matched to aircraft carriers because these platforms can support large, power-rich weapon systems—but they also impose practical limits. The cluster examines why carrier basing accelerates laser integration while highlighting the operational and engineering boundaries that shape where directed-energy weapons can be effectively employed.

2026-04-27T19:05:38.884986-07:00

Laser weapons’ aircraft-carrier fit: high power and constraints

The War Zone

Evidence suggests Ukraine is fielding AIM-120C-8 (F-16/NASAMS) beyond baseline AIM-120 variants Wreckage imagery reported from the battlefield indicates Ukraine is employing AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles. The material is described as being deployable from both F-16 platforms and NASAMS launchers, implying expanded employment options and integration pathways for near-top-tier AIM-120C-8 stores.

2026-04-27T10:49:22.912760-07:00

Evidence suggests Ukraine is fielding AIM-120C-8 (F-16/NASAMS) beyond baseline AIM-120 variants

DefenseNews.com

Raytheon pitches GBU-49 to rapidly add F-35 moving-target strike capability The U.S. Air Force—and more recently the U.S. Marine Corps—has identified Raytheon’s GBU-49 as the fastest path to enabling the F-35 to prosecute moving targets. The push positions the weapon as a near-term capability upgrade to complement the jet’s existing targeting options.

2026-04-26T15:34:25.623686-07:00

Raytheon pitches GBU-49 to rapidly add F-35 moving-target strike capability

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Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons News

US CENTCOM seeks first operational use of long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile against Iran

Pentagon estimates Iran war costs at $25B through early campaign weeks, mostly precision munitions—U.S. starts putting battlefie

MBDA and Safran complete first live firing test for Thundart long-range rocket artillery, targeting French deployment by 2030

Marines float cruise-missile-armed MV-75 tiltrotor replacement concept

News Timeline