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The War Zone • Joseph Trevithick

MQ-25 and MQ-28 carrier/wingman trials expand alongside Navy missile modernization and Sidewinder production ramp

Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray demonstrator has been embarked on USS Nimitz during FLEETEX 250, while Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat will fly alongside U.S. fighters in Valiant Shield. Separately, the Navy is preparing a Standard Missile follow-on prototyping competition and has modified RTX contracts for nearly 2,000 IM-9X Sidewinder missiles.

2026-06-29T11:42:40.861484-07:00

FlightGlobal

Lockheed Martin wins F-35 Block 4 European missile integration work and a $3B GMLRS production contract

2026-06-29T07:40:42.703468-07:00

SpaceNews.com

House Appropriators advance FY2027 defense bill: $1.07T topline, USAF flying-hours/working-capital cuts, Space Force $55.5B and

2026-06-25T04:40:33.630341-07:00

Breaking Defense

Pentagon awards Lockheed Martin up to $35B to quadruple THAAD interceptor production

2026-06-24T15:26:41.255879-07:00

News Timeline

The War Zone

U.S. Air Force says B-2 can launch LRASM—“stealth anti-ship” capability disclosed in surprise The U.S. Air Force disclosed that the B-2 can launch LRASM, positioning the bomber as a stealth platform for penetrating anti-ship strike. The announcement frames the pairing as a high-impact, “fleet-killing” combination—particularly in the Pacific’s wide operating areas.

2026-06-29T17:26:04.080662-07:00

U.S. Air Force says B-2 can launch LRASM—“stealth anti-ship” capability disclosed in surprise

The War Zone

MQ-25 and MQ-28 carrier/wingman trials expand alongside Navy missile modernization and Sidewinder production ramp Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray demonstrator has been embarked on USS Nimitz during FLEETEX 250, while Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat will fly alongside U.S. fighters in Valiant Shield. Separately, the Navy is preparing a Standard Missile follow-on prototyping competition and has modified RTX contracts for nearly 2,000 IM-9X Sidewinder missiles.

2026-06-29T11:42:40.861484-07:00

MQ-25 and MQ-28 carrier/wingman trials expand alongside Navy missile modernization and Sidewinder production ramp

FlightGlobal

Lockheed Martin wins F-35 Block 4 European missile integration work and a $3B GMLRS production contract Lockheed Martin has secured an about $74 million contract modification to complete MBDA weapon integration on F-35 Block 4 jets for the UK and Italy. The company also received a $3 billion FY26 award for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) production supporting U.S. Army precision fires and munitions readiness.

2026-06-29T07:40:42.703468-07:00

Lockheed Martin wins F-35 Block 4 European missile integration work and a $3B GMLRS production contract

AeroTime

Taiwan targets end-2026 completion of AI-assisted Huanzhan air-defense network linking Army, Navy and Air Force missile and rada Taiwan says its AI-assisted Huanzhan network—designed to link Army, Navy and Air Force missile and radar capabilities—is nearing completion, with the program due to finish by the end of 2026. Officials frame it as an integrated air-defense architecture supported by AI-enabled system integration.

2026-06-29T02:10:50.604291-07:00

Taiwan targets end-2026 completion of AI-assisted Huanzhan air-defense network linking Army, Navy and Air Force missile and rada

Breaking Defense

Sources: Hegseth meets Anduril, Castelion and Leidos on munitions production capacity Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted a closely held, publicly unannounced meeting with emerging weapons makers including Anduril, Castelion and Leidos to discuss munitions production, according to sources. The gathering signals continued pressure to expand industrial capacity and accelerate delivery timelines across the weapons pipeline.

2026-06-25T13:25:07.884555-07:00

Sources: Hegseth meets Anduril, Castelion and Leidos on munitions production capacity

Aviation Week

US Air Force sets 1,000-nm stand-off missile goal for next-gen air-launched family with air-to-air and air-to-surface variants The U.S. Air Force is defining a family of next-generation, long-range, air-launched missiles aimed at striking air and maritime targets at ranges of at least 1,000 nautical miles. The effort includes variants for air-to-air and air-to-surface missions, framed around scenarios countering Chinese air and naval forces.

2026-06-25T06:58:09.186884-07:00

US Air Force sets 1,000-nm stand-off missile goal for next-gen air-launched family with air-to-air and air-to-surface variants

SpaceNews.com

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House Appropriators advance FY2027 defense bill: $1.07T topline, USAF flying-hours/working-capital cuts, Space Force $55.5B and The House Appropriations Committee advanced its FY2027 defense spending bill with a $1.07 trillion Pentagon topline (a $234 billion increase over 2026), including $55.5 billion for the U.S. Space Force. Markup also trimmed USAF plans for flying hours and cut the Air Force working capital fund, while adding $355 million for the Family of Mass Missiles (FAMM).

2026-06-25T04:40:33.630341-07:00

House Appropriators advance FY2027 defense bill: $1.07T topline, USAF flying-hours/working-capital cuts, Space Force $55.5B and

AeroTime

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors Estonian startup Frankenburg has opened the first missile manufacturing site in the Baltics in Riga, aiming to mass-produce its Mark I counter-UAS interceptor missile. The company positions the “low-cost” interceptor as a scalable response to rising unmanned-airspace threats across the region, paired with counter-UAS systems and policies.

2026-06-25T01:34:55.946443-07:00

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors

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Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons News

MQ-25 and MQ-28 carrier/wingman trials expand alongside Navy missile modernization and Sidewinder production ramp

Lockheed Martin wins F-35 Block 4 European missile integration work and a $3B GMLRS production contract

House Appropriators advance FY2027 defense bill: $1.07T topline, USAF flying-hours/working-capital cuts, Space Force $55.5B and

Pentagon awards Lockheed Martin up to $35B to quadruple THAAD interceptor production

News Timeline