Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Policy  
DefenseNews.com • Michael Scanlon

USAF moves to retire the A-10 as CSAR mission demands outlive the airframe

The U.S. Air Force is proceeding with plans to phase out the A-10, with the recently graduated final class of new A-10 pilots marking another step in the retirement timeline. USAF officials point to the aircraft’s long-running combat search-and-rescue suitability—even as the service weighs what replaces that capability.

Air & Space Forces Mag • Todd South

Air Force Graduates Final Class of New A-10 Pilots

Also: AirForceTimes and Military Times
2026-04-16T13:40:12.737867-07:00
Event   UAV Development & Drone Programs   Helicopter   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
The War Zone • Joseph Trevithick

Army Eyes Drone Tankers To Refuel Its New MV-75 Cheyenne II Tiltrotors

By The War Zone: The Army and Bell have pointed to the U.S. Navy's MQ-25 Stingray drone tanker as an example of what could be on the horizon.

2026-04-16T11:58:37.655672-07:00
Helicopter   L3Harris   Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
The War Zone • Thomas Newdick

Wolf Pack Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Pitched For Apache, Black Hawk

By The War Zone: Already building launched effects vehicles for the Marine Corps, L3Harris now wants to bring these capabilities to U.S. Army rotorcraft. Already building launched effects vehicles for the Marine Corps, L3Harris now wants to bring these capabilities to U.S.

2026-04-16T09:12:33.477970-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Helicopter   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Reuters • Cassell Bryan-Low

How the US could clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz

By Reuters: As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.

2026-04-16T08:11:17.520523-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy   Thales  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Rafale's new anti-Shahed weapon caught on camera at Istres

By AeroTime: First images show a French Rafale fitted with 24 Thales laser-guided rockets. The DGA says the anti-Shahed capability will be ready by summer 2026.

Also: Aviation Week, Janes and Janes
2026-04-16T06:57:20.561985-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Satellite   Commercial Space   Space Defense & Militarization   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection)  
Reuters • David Jeans

Exclusive: Starlink outage hit drone tests, exposing Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX

By Reuters: Last August, U.S. Navy officials carrying out a test of unmanned vessels realized they had hit a single point of failure: Starlink. A global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network affecting millions of Starlink users had left two dozen unmanned surface vessels bobbing off the California coast, disrupting communications and halting operations for almost an hour.

Also: Seeking Alpha and 8 more
2026-04-16T03:40:59.653806-07:00