Antitrust   Satellite   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Space Defense & Militarization   Policy & Regulation  
Reuters

Germany’s cartel office clears Rheinmetall Digital–OHB JV for future Bundeswehr procurement

Germany’s cartel office (Bundeskartellamt) has approved Rheinmetall Digital’s subsidiary to form a joint venture with satellite maker OHB to pursue a future procurement contract for the German armed forces. The clearance removes a competition-law hurdle for a defense-related space/communications-enabled bid.

2026-04-16T02:39:17.269963-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Satellite   Space Defense & Militarization   Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection)  
NEW
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.

2026-04-16T03:40:59.653806-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Policy   Boeing  
FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

Canberra starts search to replace E-7A with ‘next-generation aircraft’

By FlightGlobal: Australia has started looking at what could replace its Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. In the country’s 2026 National Defence Strategy document, Canberra lists nine priorities for the future of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which will be “an air force with long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance [ISR] and….

2026-04-16T02:09:21.630712-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   General Atomics   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle ERs to get ELINT capability

By FlightGlobal: The US Army’s General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-1C unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are to receive an electronic intelligence (ELINT) capability.

2026-04-15T20:55:57.369747-07:00
Aircraft Carrier   North America   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Associated Press • Konstantin Toropin

US aircraft carrier breaks record for longest deployment since the Vietnam War

By Associated Press: The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has broken the U.S. record for the longest deployment since the Vietnam War.

Also: Military Times and 4 more
2026-04-15T15:15:08.188569-07:00