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DefenseNews.com • Valerie Insinna

US Air Force funds prototypes for new ground-based radar tracking aerial targets

Three companies received US Air Force funding to prototype next-generation ground-based radars, with the focus on demonstrating how effectively their systems track aerial targets. The effort this year is designed to validate tracking performance ahead of potential follow-on transition decisions.

2026-04-27T15:20:14.753197-07:00

Breaking Defense

Gen. Chance Saltzman calls for Space Force acquisition centered on “minimum viable capabilities”

2026-04-27T13:20:18.231835-07:00

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force certifies SpaceX for military space launches

2026-04-27T04:04:32.918556-07:00

Bloomberg

HawkEye 360 launches IPO roadshow targeting up to a $2.4B valuation and ~$384M–$424M raised

2026-04-27T04:34:59.881313-07:00

News Timeline

DefenseNews.com

Why aircraft carriers are ideal—but constrained—platforms for high-energy laser weapons High-energy laser weapons pair naturally with aircraft carriers because the ships are large, power-rich platforms. The same platform advantages come with hard constraints—primarily tied to ship integration, energy management, and operational limits that affect how effectively lasers can be employed at sea.

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

Why aircraft carriers are ideal—but constrained—platforms for high-energy laser weapons

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force funds prototypes for new ground-based radar tracking aerial targets Three companies received US Air Force funding to prototype next-generation ground-based radars, with the focus on demonstrating how effectively their systems track aerial targets. The effort this year is designed to validate tracking performance ahead of potential follow-on transition decisions.

2026-04-27T15:20:14.753197-07:00

US Air Force funds prototypes for new ground-based radar tracking aerial targets

Breaking Defense

Gen. Chance Saltzman calls for Space Force acquisition centered on “minimum viable capabilities” In his first 2026 Commander’s Note, Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman urges tighter collaboration between the service’s acquisition leadership and the operational corps to compress timelines and deliver new capabilities. The message emphasizes focusing acquisition efforts on “minimum viable capabilities” rather than extended perfection cycles.

2026-04-27T13:20:18.231835-07:00

Gen. Chance Saltzman calls for Space Force acquisition centered on “minimum viable capabilities”

Bloomberg

HawkEye 360 launches IPO roadshow targeting up to a $2.4B valuation and ~$384M–$424M raised Satellite-based signals intelligence and RF geolocation provider HawkEye 360 has started its Nasdaq IPO roadshow, seeking to list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company targets an offering valuation of up to $2.42 billion and plans to raise between roughly $384 million and $424.2 million (about $416 million in one filing figure).

2026-04-27T04:34:59.881313-07:00

HawkEye 360 launches IPO roadshow targeting up to a $2.4B valuation and ~$384M–$424M raised

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force certifies SpaceX for military space launches The U.S. Air Force announced that SpaceX has been certified to conduct military space launches. The decision broadens the pool of government-approved launch providers, a move that comes as the Space Force is actively increasing demand for more capable rocket launches.

2026-04-27T04:04:32.918556-07:00

US Air Force certifies SpaceX for military space launches

Space.com

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SpaceX to relaunch Falcon Heavy on April 27 from LC-39A with Viasat-3.3 after 18-month hiatus SpaceX is targeting an April 27 launch of Falcon Heavy from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, marking a return to flight after more than 18 months. The mission is scheduled to place Viasat-3.3 into geosynchronous transfer orbit, with both side boosters slated for landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

2026-04-26T09:20:22.706970-07:00

SpaceX to relaunch Falcon Heavy on April 27 from LC-39A with Viasat-3.3 after 18-month hiatus

European Spaceflight

Rheinmetall to establish satellite testing facility in Andøya, Norway Rheinmetall has signed a Letter of Intent to establish a new satellite testing facility in Andøya, Norway. The agreement aims to expand the company’s Nordic space and defense-industrial test footprint, aligning with broader efforts to scale satellite-related experimentation and validation work.

2026-04-25T04:34:27.650016-07:00

Rheinmetall to establish satellite testing facility in Andøya, Norway

DefenseNews.com

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements The secretary of the U.S. Air Force said he is “disappointed” SpaceX was not certified for military space launch by the end of 2014, but remains confident the company can meet service-set requirements. The statement underscores how certification timing shapes Pentagon launch assurance and program risk.

2026-04-25T00:50:54.605642-07:00

Air Force: “Disappointed” SpaceX not certified for military launches by end-2014, but confident it will meet USSF requirements

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Space Defense & Militarization News

US Air Force funds prototypes for new ground-based radar tracking aerial targets

Gen. Chance Saltzman calls for Space Force acquisition centered on “minimum viable capabilities”

US Air Force certifies SpaceX for military space launches

HawkEye 360 launches IPO roadshow targeting up to a $2.4B valuation and ~$384M–$424M raised

News Timeline