US Launches Renewed Strikes Against Iran, Vowing to ‘Negotiate with Bombs’
The U.S. resumed strikes against Iran on June 10, as President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Iran to make concessions in the stalled negotiations between the two countries.
U-2 Would Avoid Chopping Block Under Draft Spending Bill
The famed U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane could get a reprieve from the Air Force’s chopping block under a new 2027 spending bill proposed by the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
Soldier Turned Guardian to Lead Space Force Component in Korea
For the next leader of its component in Korea, the Space Force is turning to a colonel who has decades of experience in the Army, historically the leading service for all things U.S. military on the peninsula.
GAO: Tanker Fleet Struggling with Readiness due to Parts Shortage, KC-46 Delays
The Air Force tanker fleet “did not meet” its availability and mission capable rate goals from fiscal 2019 to 2025, in large part because of parts shortages and delays fielding the KC-46 refueler, according to a Government Accountability Office report released June 10.
What the Space Force Is Eyeing for Its Future GPS Enterprise
After years of talking about the issue and a few fits and starts, the Space Force is refining its plans to bolster its legacy GPS architecture amid fears that its satellites and ground systems are increasingly vulnerable to threats like jamming, spoofing, and even kinetic attack.
Radar Sweep
GA-ASI Offers SeaGuardian For US Air Force Reaper Shortage
Aviation Week
In response to U.S. Air Force leaders saying they want to backfill a critical shortage of MQ-9A Reapers in the short term and switch to a significantly cheaper aircraft for the same mission in the long term, the manufacturer plans to offer the same solution: a proposal for the larger MQ-9B SeaGuardian.
Wilsbach: FAMM Low-Cost Cruise Missile to Begin Production This Fall
DefenseScoop
Industry is slated to begin building the Air Force’s nascent Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM) in September, kicking off a multiyear effort to grow the service’s arsenal of low-cost weapons.
Drone Wingmen Face Off at Berlin Air Show in Race for German CCA
Breaking Defense
Company officials with Boeing Australia and Germany’s Rheinmetall dramatically pulled back a white sheet here at the Berlin Air Show on June 10 to reveal a MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a collaborative combat aircraft that’s already taken to the skies in Australia and hopes to do so for the German air force.
LeoLab’s New, Mobile Space-Watch Radar to Participate in Valiant Shield Exercise
Breaking Defense
Space monitoring firm LeoLabs announced that its newest space tracking radar is now operational, with a first unit set to participate in the U.S. military’s multiservice, multinational Valiant Shield exercise in the Pacific.
‘They Got Very Lucky,’ Trump Says of Downed Apache Helicopter’s Crew
Defense News
President Donald Trump on June 10 said two U.S. Army aviators “got very lucky” after an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was downed by Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that American retaliation for the incident is not over.
Pentagon Creates ‘Joint Warfighting Evaluation’ for General and Admiral Promotions
Task & Purpose
Officers on their way to the general and admiral ranks will have another benchmark to meet before picking their first star. The “Joint Warfighting Evaluation” will be used to assess the “operational analysis, communications, and decision-making skills” when officers are screened for promotion from O6 to O7, according to a recent memo from Undersecretary of Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata.
Boeing’s New Larger Ghost Bat Can Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs Internally
The War Zone
Boeing has provided details of the latest iteration of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). Already, the Ghost Bat was the most mature known CCA, but the enhanced version of the drone, the Block 3, has various new features. These include a larger wing and a pair of internal weapons bays, which means it can carry munitions without diminishing its low-observable characteristics.
House Appropriators Back $55.5 Billion Space Force Budget, Omit Reconciliation Funds
SpaceNews
House defense appropriators unveiled a $1.07 trillion fiscal 2027 spending bill that would provide $55.5 billion for the U.S. Space Force, and does not include billions of dollars in additional defense funding that the Trump administration is seeking through a separate budget reconciliation package.
Germany Welcome in GCAP, but New Leonardo Boss Warns About Timing
Defense News
The head of Italian defense firm Leonardo has welcomed the possibility of Germany entering the Italo-Japanese-UK GCAP fighter program but has warned that adding a new member could push back the delivery date.
Full C-17 Fleet to Use 3D-Printed Drag Reduction Fins Within a Year, US Air Force Official Says
Aerospace America
After equipping a handful of C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes with 3D-printed fins meant to reduce drag, the Air Force is now set to install the fins aboard the entire fleet within a year, according to a service official.
What to Know About Drone-Boat Maker Behind Iran Helicopter Crew Rescue
The Wall Street Journal
It was a boat ride for the history books, with nary a sailor in sight. On June 9, the Navy employed a remotely piloted drone boat from defense company Saronic to rescue the crew of an Apache helicopter struck near the Strait of Hormuz.