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

U.S. airstrikes and heliborne special-ops raid in Caracas; Maduro captured and flown out

U.S. forces carried out coordinated airstrikes and heliborne special operations in Caracas early Saturday, producing explosions across the capital as residents reported power outages. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in the operation and reportedly flown out of the country; the FAA has closed Venezuelan airspace to U.S. aircraft.

Also: Air Data News, The Aviationist, Simple Flying, The Independent, Sky News, militarnyi.com, Task & Purpose, UK Defence Journal, Wall Street Journal, NBC News and 5 more
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