ATC   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
Reuters • Reuters |

Unconfirmed military activity in Caracas: aircraft noise, smoke column and power outage reported

Residents in Caracas reported aircraft noise, loud explosions and at least one column of smoke in the early hours of Saturday, while parts of the city's southern sector near a major military base experienced a power outage. Reuters witnesses described the activity as 'unconfirmed military activity.'

Also: UK Defence Journal and staradvertiser.com
2026-01-02T23:07:30.398137-08:00
M&A   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Export Controls & Trade Compliance  
Reuters • Kanishka Singh

US President Trump blocks HieFo’s $3M acquisition of Emcore assets over China-related national security concerns

By Reuters: President Donald Trump on Friday blocked U.S. photonics firm HieFo Corp's $3 million acquisition of assets in New Jersey-based aerospace and defense specialist Emcore, citing national security and China-related concerns.

2026-01-02T19:13:43.854995-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   AI   North America   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy  
insidedefense.com • Vanessa Montalbano;

US Air Force envisions Collaborative Combat Aircraft as multirole platforms, official says

By insidedefense.com: The Air Force is not envisioning its Collaborative Combat Aircraft as "one-trick ponies," a top service official told Inside Defense, but rather as multirole platforms able to complete a variety of missions.

Also: Military Times
2026-01-02T10:15:25.612683-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Supply Chain   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Unmanned Airspace • Philip Butterworth-Hayes

Ukraine’s 'Army of Drones' incentive drives production of 500–800 C‑UAS interceptors a day

By Unmanned Airspace: According to a report in The Kyiv Post, Ukraine is producing between 500 and 800 C-UAS intercept drones a day as a key element in the country’s new layered counter drone defence networks, supported by a new procurement strategy.

2026-01-02T10:03:02.172296-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Workforce & Skills Development   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Ukraine trained nearly 100 cadet pilots in 2025, expanding aviation and drone training with Western partners

By AeroTime: Ukraine trained nearly 100 cadet pilots in 2025 while expanding aviation and drone training pipelines with Western partners, the defense ministry said.

2026-01-02T08:10:30.716295-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
FlightGlobal • Craig Hoyle

Tekever ramps up AR3 Evo UAS testing at West Wales after 50,000+ operational hours in Ukraine

By FlightGlobal: With more than 50,000h of operational experience having been accumulated by its uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the battleground in Ukraine, Tekever is certainly no stranger to its equipment being flown in challenging conditions.

2026-01-02T07:27:17.209636-08:00