UAV Development & Drone Programs   Middle East   Europe   Airports   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
Aviation Week • Tony Osborne

RAF moves APKWS guided rockets onto frontline Typhoon jets for Middle East counter-drone missions

The Royal Air Force has deployed the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) on Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighters operating in the Middle East, shifting the guided-rocket capability from testing to operational use in under two months. The low-cost intercept option is designed for one-way attack drone threats, with live-firing trials supporting continued development.

UK Defence Journal • George Allison

RAF deploys anti-drone missile on Typhoon in Middle East

Also: The Aviationist, Janes and 3 more
2026-05-16T16:10:48.963293-07:00
Aircraft Carrier   North America   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
Associated Press • Associated Press

USS Gerald R. Ford Returns to Norfolk After 11-Month Deployment

By Associated Press: The USS Gerald R. Ford has returned home to Virginia. The world's largest aircraft carrier is back in port at Naval Station Norfolk after an 11-month deployment.

Also: Economic Times, Fortune, CNN, The Independent and 3 more
2026-05-16T07:54:56.501768-07:00
Supply Chain   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Export Controls & Trade Compliance   Defense Deals   Boeing  
FlightGlobal • Craig Hoyle

UK F-35s to gain SDB-II weapons, as MoD details corrosion challenge after maritime deployment

By FlightGlobal: Precision-guided bomb order remains subject to final approval. The UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35B combat aircraft will be equipped with Boeing Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB-II) weapons as an interim step, due to ongoing delays with integrating a European-produced alternative.

Also: Janes, Aviation Week, UK Defence Journal and 3 more
2026-05-15T04:12:16.071143-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   AI   Helicopter   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
FlightGlobal • Dominic Perry

Nyx picks: UK MoD selects four contenders for Apache ‘loyal wingman’ project

By FlightGlobal: Anduril, BAE Systems, Tekever and Thales will share £10 million for work on autonomous aircraft platforms.

Also: Aviation Week, Urban Air Mobility News, UK Defence Journal, defence-blog.com and defence-industry.eu
2026-05-15T04:38:12.321145-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy  
The War Zone • Joseph Trevithick

Secretive AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile Finally Breaks Cover

By The War Zone: The AIM-260 has been in development for years as a much-needed longer-range successor to the venerable AIM-120 AMRAAM. Add TWZ (opens in a new tab) More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.

Also: The Aviationist, Aviation Week and Times of India
2026-05-15T11:01:11.571863-07:00
Hypersonic   Supply Chain   Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
DefenseNews.com • Cristina Stassis

US Army to receive thousands of Barracuda-500M cruise missiles in Anduril deal

By DefenseNews.com: The Pentagon’s Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program aims to obtain over 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles over a three-year span.

Also: Army Times, Military Times and defensemirror.com
2026-05-15T12:38:49.643415-07:00
Satellite   AI   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Space Defense & Militarization   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
SpaceWatch Global • Torsten Kriening

AGO's McMullan Warns GEOINT Agencies Face Existential Test of Pace and Relevance

By SpaceWatch Global: AGO Director Kathryn McMullan's GEOINT 2026 keynote: Australia's strategic paradox, maritime domain awareness, and partnerships from Five Eyes to Japan.

2026-05-15T01:23:42.652946-07:00