UAV Development & Drone Programs   Air Cargo & Freight Logistics   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy  
DefenseNews.com

DARPA opens $6.5M Lift Challenge to develop drones that can carry up to four times their weight

DARPA has launched the Lift Challenge, a $6.5 million open competition—inviting everything from major contractors to garage inventors—to develop small UAS capable of carrying roughly four times their own weight for logistics and battlefield resupply. The program seeks breakthrough airframe and subsystem concepts to leap payload-to-weight ratios.

Also: Military Times and 5 more
2026-02-18T07:15:29.481484-08:00
Supply Chain   North America   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Space Defense & Militarization   Defense Policy  
Aviation Week • Steve Trimble

Canada to Prioritize Domestic Suppliers in C$180B Defense Procurement, Targets 240% Growth

By Aviation Week: Canada will prioritize domestic businesses for the award of an estimated C$180 billion in military procurement contracts over the next 10 years.

Also: Skies Magazine, SpaceQ, Wings and Wings
2026-02-17T11:56:45.611614-08:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Embraer  
NEW
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Embraer delivers first two A-29 Super Tucanos to Uruguay, kicking off six-aircraft fleet renewal program

By AeroTime: Embraer has delivered the first two A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to the Uruguayan Air Force, launching a six-aircraft fleet renewal program.

2026-02-18T06:41:11.492451-08:00
Europe   Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Deals   BAE Systems  
Reuters

BAE Systems posts 12% FY operating profit rise as order backlog hits record £83.6bn

By Reuters: BAE Systems said a "new era" of defence spending would drive its growth for years to come after the British contractor reported a 12% rise in full-year operating profit on Wednesday and a record 83.6 billion-pound ($113.50 billion) order backlog.

Also: Bloomberg, Aviation Week, defence-industry.eu, spacewar.com, business-live.co.uk, The Independent, insidermedia.com, Business Wire, Seeking Alpha and 4 more
2026-02-17T23:35:19.519998-08:00
Dassault Aviation   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy   Airbus  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

FCAS on the edge? Franco‑German tensions threaten the Future Combat Air System programme

By AeroTime: Since it was officially announced in April 2018, the joint development by France, Germany, and (later) Spain of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), slated to eventually replace the current generation of Eurofighter and Rafale fighter jets, has had quite a few turbulences.

Also: Space Daily and lemonde.fr
2026-02-18T00:13:13.259959-08:00