RTX says F135 Engine Core Upgrade moves closer to production, adding power and cooling for F-35 Block 4 weapons and sensors
RTX’s Pratt & Whitney has completed a risk-reduction design review for the F135 Engine Core Upgrade.
GE Aerospace says first XA102 adaptive cycle engine is moving toward assembly for U.S. Air Force next-generation combat aircraft
GE Aerospace is preparing to assemble its first XA102 adaptive cycle engine test asset for the U.S. Air Force.
Boeing says U.S. Navy orders first production MQ-25A Stingray uncrewed refueling aircraft to extend carrier air wing range from 2029
The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million fixed-price incentive contract for the first three production MQ-25A Stingray aircraft.
Northrop Grumman says inert Sentinel ICBM is fully assembled at Vandenberg before 2027 flight testing and early-2030s alert duty
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force have completed the vertical assembly of a fully integrated inert Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
U.S. Air Force says AGM-190A Havoc Spear proved effective in combat evaluation, enabling wider use across special operations and conventional aircraft
Air Force Special Operations Command said the AGM-190A Havoc Spear met its requirements for a small cruise missile during a combat evaluation in spring 2026.
L3Harris expands C-HOBS sensor production in Cincinnati, giving U.S. Air Force crews precise control over munition detonation altitude
L3Harris Technologies has secured a U.S. Air Force contract valued at about $60 million to continue producing DSU-43/B Cockpit Selectable Height of Burst Sensors.
Raytheon says F-35B launched eight StormBreaker weapons simultaneously in Arizona test, expanding strike capacity against moving targets
StormBreaker can fly more than 45 miles to strike moving targets, allowing launch aircraft to spend less time within threatened areas.
PBS Aerospace says Georgia plant expansion doubles test capacity, supports 10,000-engine annual output target by 2028 amid rising U.S. defence demand
PBS Aerospace has doubled turbojet engine test capacity at its manufacturing plant in Roswell, Georgia, after completing a 10,000-square-foot expansion.
Swiss Social Democrats seek full F-35 procurement inquiry over alleged cost distortions, bidder treatment and U.S. supplier dependence
Switzerland’s Social Democrats plan to seek a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the country’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
U.S. Air Force’s first 16 F-15EX Eagle II fighters reach 72.4% availability, above threshold but below 80% target
The U.S. Air Force’s first 16 F-15EX Eagle II fighters recorded average materiel availability of 72.4% in fiscal 2026, clearing the programme’s minimum sustainment threshold.
U.S. Air National Guard brings F-35A to Barnes, replacing F-15 Eagle and reinforcing Massachusetts’ 24-hour homeland defense mission
The 104th Fighter Wing formally welcomed the F-35A Lightning II to Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts on September 13.
F-35’s $1.4 trillion sustainment bill, rising modernization costs and production strain test the limits of global fleet expansion
The F-35 program is entering a new phase of global expansion, with record deliveries, growing international demand and a weapons roadmap that extends deep into the next decade.

