An internal Pentagon study reviewing the procurement of new F-22A Raptors says the Air Force could save more than $500 million if it buys 40 more fighters than the 183 now specified by DOD. Reuters news service surfaced this finding based on comment from an unnamed source that has seen the draft of the study conducted by the Program Analysis and Evaluation Office. The conclusion—if upheld—mirrors that of an independent review conducted by the consulting firm Whitney, Bradley, & Brown. Commissioned last fall by Defense Undersecretary Gordon England, the WBB study is due next month, but word of its “surprising” finding leaked last month.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.