Satellite   Space Force   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Space Defense & Militarization  
Breaking Defense • Theresa Hitchens

Space Force awards SpaceX $4.16B for orbiting threat-detection satellites under SB-AMTI/Golden Dome concepts

The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion contract to build a constellation of satellites to track and target airborne threats from orbit, as part of efforts to shift battlefield surveillance away from aircraft and toward space. The award is framed as an accelerator for SB-AMTI delivery timelines and Golden Dome defensive coverage.

Also: Defense Scoop, Reuters, Bloomberg, SpaceNews.com, Air & Space Forces Mag, interestingengineering.com, The Verge, insidedefense.com, TechCrunch, Seeking Alpha, Defense Daily and 4 more
2026-05-29T10:10:15.681121-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Supply Chain   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
FlightGlobal • Ryan Finnerty

Canada to launch domestic production of military drones for Ukraine

By FlightGlobal: The deal establishes a partnership between Canadian and Ukrainian manufacturers to supply Kyiv with uncrewed weapon systems.

2026-05-29T10:26:05.631331-07:00
Aircraft Carrier   North America   Defense Deals   Defense Policy  
DefenseNews.com • Claire Barrett

US Navy to explore powering shore installations with aircraft carriers

By DefenseNews.com: Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao revealed that Naval Station Norfolk will be “powered from an aircraft carrier" sometime this summer.

Also: marinecorpstimes.com and 3 more
2026-05-29T10:51:13.104888-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Defence24 • Michał Górski

Russian drone strikes Romania. NATO responds

By Defence24: On the night of May 28–29, Russia carried out further attacks on Ukraine. One of the Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) entered Romanian airspace and struck a residential building complex in the city of Galați.

Also: The Aviationist, Aviation Week, Times of India, The Independent and 4 more
2026-05-29T01:39:26.607924-07:00
China   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Space Defense & Militarization   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
Reuters • Greg Torode, Laurie CHEN, Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa

China is building launch pads near its nuclear missile silos

By Reuters: Satellite images show China is constructing a web of launch pads and other infrastructure near the isolated nuclear silos that hold the country’s longest-range missiles.

Also: DefenseNews.com, Economic Times and Military Times
2026-05-28T22:55:01.145867-07:00
Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Orders   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Deals   Defense Policy  
Reuters • Johan Ahlander, Simon Johnson

Ukraine to buy 20 new Gripen jets, Sweden to donate older jets sooner

By Reuters: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had earmarked 2.5 billion euros out of a 90 billion euro EU loan package for the planes.

Also: The Aviationist, DefenseNews.com, FlightGlobal, Bloomberg, aviation-defence-universe.com, Aviation Week, defencetoday.com, Kyiv Independent, Air Data News, AeroTime, aviationnews.eu, aerospaceglobalnews.com and 33 more
2026-05-28T02:44:32.723407-07:00