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The War Zone • Joseph Trevithick

US Air Force seeks 1,509 combat-coded fighters by 2035, with F-35s at 40% of the fleet

The Air Force says it needs steady funding and a healthy industrial base to reach its 2035 target. Its plan calls for F-47s to replace F-22s, while Lt. Gen. David Tabor confirmed the service is considering a new-build F-16 but said that decision is not urgent.

DefenseNews.com • Michael Scanlon

US Air Force outlines the fighter fleet it needs by 2035

Breaking Defense • Michael Marrow

Air Force needs 1,509 combat-ready jets by 2035, service tells Congress

Also: Aviation Week, Air Data News, news.ssbcrack.com, Aviation Week and Military Times

8 Sources

2026-10-21T11:05:24.502598-07:00

Europe Defense Budgets & Spending Space Policy & International Cooperation Space Defense & Militarization

SpaceWatch Global • Torsten Kriening

ESPI AC 2026 - €35 Billion for Space: Is Germany Entering a New Space Era? | Klaus-Peter Willsch

By SpaceWatch Global: Klaus-Peter Willsch joins Torsten Kriening to discuss Germany’s €35 billion defence space investment, European independence and the future of its space industry.

1 Source

2026-10-21T13:55:38.227903-07:00

Military Aircraft Procurement Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons

Naval News • Carter Johnston

AIM-174B, AIM-260A seen together on Super Hornet for the first time

By Naval News: A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet was spotted carrying the AIM-174B and AIM-260A JATM, marking the first documented dual-loadout of these secretive weapons.

The War Zone

Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet Spotted Carrying New AIM-174B And AIM-260 Long-Range Missiles Together

2 Sources

2026-10-21T02:10:40.108282-07:00

Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons Defense Industry & Major Contractors

Leeham News

RTX Reports $59 Billion in Third-Quarter Awards, Backlog Reaches $340 Billion

By Leeham News: In the third quarter of 2026, RTX received over $59 billion of new awards, including some $37 billion on the Tomahawk and AMRAAM, along with the SM6 and SM3-1B programs.

1 Source

2026-10-21T12:05:05.827686-07:00

Military Aircraft Procurement Defense Industry & Major Contractors

FlightGlobal • Ryan Finnerty

Pentagon chief appears with new Sierra Nevada E-4C ‘Doomsday’ jet

By FlightGlobal: Pete Hegseth described the Survivable Airborne Operations Center as one of Washington's 'most vital assets'. US defence chief Pete Hegseth has made an appearance with one of the US Air Force's new E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) jets, which are under development by contractor Sierra Nevada (SNC).

1 Source

2026-10-21T12:05:06.087290-07:00

aviation Satellite AI Commercial Space Asia-Pacific (APAC)

Via Satellite • Rachel Jewett

Atombeam Raises $18.3M for Networking Technology

By Via Satellite: AI networking technology startup Atombeam has raised $18.3 million to accelerate adoption of its software targeted for satellite, defense, and commercial links.

2 Sources

2026-10-21T13:05:44.768933-07:00

Europe Military Aircraft Procurement Accident Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact