F-35 Joint Program Office says F-35B released a Meteor missile from its internal bay for the first time
An F-35B Lightning II released a Meteor air-to-air missile from its internal weapons bay for the first time on Oct. 7 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Air and missile defence
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Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force test Mk21A reentry vehicle for next-generation nuclear missile system
Sierra Nevada Corporation withdraws from U.S. Navy T-45 replacement competition
Spain’s S-81 submarine Isaac Peral sinks decommissioned patrol vessel with a single torpedo
Rafael presents L-Spike loitering weapons for use with existing Spike missile launchers
Helsing delivers mission software source code to Germany for future air combat systems
Brazilian Air Force tests Gripen E fighter with Rafael’s Litening and RecceLite pods
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Castelion shows Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Castelion published a photograph showing Blackbeard hypersonic missile mounted under the wings of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet
Hanwha Ocean develops submarine torpedo launcher after decade of work with South Korean defence agency
Hanwha Ocean says it has developed a horizontal launcher that uses pressurised water to eject torpedoes and other weapons from a submarine
U.S. Air Force completes final T-7A Red Hawk escape sled test
The U.S. Air Force has completed the final high-speed sled test of the T-7A Red Hawk’s escape system, moving the trainer closer to qualification of its aircrew safety equipment
Navantia and Fincantieri agree joint venture framework for European corvette programmes and exports
Navantia and Fincantieri have agreed a framework for a 50-50 joint venture to manage their national European Patrol Corvette programmes and pursue related export opportunities
Sandia National Laboratories says $3.38 million project will assess advanced nuclear fuel production
Sandia National Laboratories has been selected for $3.38 million in Department of Energy funding to assess the barriers to producing advanced nuclear fuels at commercial scale
EDGE launches first corvette built in the UAE for Angola under €1 billion naval contract
EDGE has launched Angola’s second BR71 MK II corvette, the first vessel of the class built in the UAE under a €1 billion contract signed in 2023
U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley completes seven-month deployment
USS Gridley completed a seven-month deployment that took the guided-missile destroyer around South America with USS Nimitz before continuing on counter-narcotics operations
Canada’s defence industry calls for procurement reforms to recognise domestic ownership and speed up contracts
Canadian defence companies are urging Ottawa to give ownership and control greater recognition in procurement and provide a clearer route from successful military trials to contracts
Industry spotlight
Air and missile defenceCombat-proven air defense: recent Patriot® contract awards signal surge in demand across Europe
European demand for proven air and missile defense systems is rising and Raytheon, an RTX business, is investing heavily to meet that need with higher production capacity.
U.S. Army’s Bradley replacement race enters troop-testing phase with first XM30 prototypes from Rheinmetall and General Dynamics
Lockheed Martin CEO says ATACMS production could move to Germany, opening Arkansas capacity for faster PrSM missile output
L3Harris secures record $4.7 billion PAC-3 MSE propulsion deal from Lockheed Martin to expand U.S. interceptor production capacity
U.S. Marine Corps reactivates Silver Eagles squadron at Cherry Point with F-35C fighters
The U.S. Marine Corps reactivated its Silver Eagles fighter squadron on Nov. 5, 2026, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
F-35 Joint Program Office says F-35B released a Meteor missile from its internal bay for the first time
An F-35B Lightning II released a Meteor air-to-air missile from its internal weapons bay for the first time on Oct. 7 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
NASA unveils X-70 Fractal, a crewed test aircraft with rapidly reconfigurable flight controls
ASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he expects the aircraft, introduced at the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to make its first flight under NASA within two years.
U.S. Air Force completes final T-7A Red Hawk escape sled test
The U.S. Air Force has completed the final high-speed sled test of the T-7A Red Hawk’s escape system, moving the trainer closer to qualification of its aircrew safety equipment.
Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force test Mk21A reentry vehicle for next-generation nuclear missile system
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force have completed a flight test of an unarmed developmental Mk21A reentry vehicle, gathering data ahead of a major design review.
Sierra Nevada Corporation withdraws from U.S. Navy T-45 replacement competition
Sierra Nevada Corporation has withdrawn its offer to replace the U.S. Navy’s T-45C Goshawk trainers, leaving the Textron Aviation Defense-Leonardo partnership as the only potential bidder.
Lithuania receives first Thales GM200 MM/C multifunction radar for its national division
Lithuania has received its first Thales GM200 MM/C multifunction radar, adding to its national division’s ability to locate enemy indirect-fire positions and improve artillery effectiveness.
Elbit Systems to build SIGMA and PULS artillery training facility under 15-year Israeli agreement
Israel’s Ministry of Defense has signed a contract worth more than $190 million with Elbit Systems to establish a training facility for SIGMA self-propelled howitzer and PULS rocket launcher crews.
Netherlands to acquire more CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, defence ministry says
The Netherlands will acquire additional CV90 infantry fighting vehicles and replace ageing engineering equipment to strengthen its army for a potential large-scale conflict
Rheinmetall delivers first series-production Caracal vehicles to Germany and the Netherlands, with deliveries continuing to 2030
Rheinmetall has delivered the first series-production Caracal vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces under a programme to supply more than 1,500 by 2030.
Avenger Triad 26 assesses command-and-control gaps in large-scale European combat scenario
The U.S. Army has identified command-and-control gaps during a multinational exercise simulating large-scale combat in Europe.
Finland orders RGW 110 anti-tank weapons to replace APILAS, with deliveries from 2027
Finland will buy RGW 110 heavy anti-tank weapons from Germany’s Dynamit Nobel Defence in a procurement worth approximately €84.5 million excluding VAT.
Spain’s S-81 submarine Isaac Peral sinks decommissioned patrol vessel with a single torpedo
Spain’s Isaac Peral (S-81) submarine sank the decommissioned patrol vessel Infanta Elena with a single torpedo during the SINKEX-26 live-fire exercise in the Atlantic.
Navantia and Fincantieri agree joint venture framework for European corvette programmes and exports
Navantia and Fincantieri have agreed a framework for a 50-50 joint venture to manage their national European Patrol Corvette programmes and pursue related export opportunities.
EDGE launches first corvette built in the UAE for Angola under €1 billion naval contract
EDGE has launched Angola’s second BR71 MK II corvette, the first vessel of the class built in the UAE under a €1 billion contract signed in 2023.
Hanwha Ocean launches South Korea’s second KSS-III Batch-II submarine with expanded armament
Hanwha Ocean has launched Seo Hui (SS-088), the second KSS-III Batch-II submarine for the Republic of Korea Navy, adding firepower and domestically produced equipment to the country’s submarine fleet.
U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley completes seven-month deployment
USS Gridley completed a seven-month deployment that took the guided-missile destroyer around South America with USS Nimitz before continuing on counter-narcotics operations.
Northrop Grumman receives three-year U.S. Navy production contract for AN/WSN-12 navigation processors
Northrop Grumman has received a three-year U.S. Navy contract to produce AN/WSN-12 navigation processors for installation across multiple surface-ship platforms.
Defense Intelligence Agency says Russian nuclear satellite program could threaten thousands of spacecraft
Russia is developing a satellite designed to carry a nuclear weapon that could disable thousands of spacecraft and disrupt services worldwide, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said.
Canada’s MDA Space joins Europe’s IRIS² programme with antenna systems agreement for 66 early-delivery satellites
MDA Space has signed an agreement with Thales Alenia Space to begin work on digital antenna systems for 66 satellites in Europe’s IRIS² secure connectivity programme.
GomSpace and HIMERA begin satellite tests for Ukraine’s independent communications network
Ukraine’s HIMERA and Denmark’s GomSpace have begun operating OBRIA NANO, a test satellite for a planned independent Ukrainian communications network.
Airbus receives order for two more Galileo satellites with stronger anti-jamming protection
Airbus has received a contract for two more second-generation Galileo satellites, taking its order for the European navigation programme to eight spacecraft.
U.S. tests SpaceX Starfall capsule for rapid military resupply under Rocket Cargo program
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has tested a SpaceX-designed Starfall capsule carrying survival equipment under its Rocket Cargo program.
Ukraine’s defence ministry confirms stable Starlink and Starshield connections above 400 km/h
Ukraine’s defence ministry confirms that Starlink and Starshield operating performance has been restored after previously recorded restrictions.




