Michael Marrow

After the surprise move, the field of competitors for the Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System has now narrowed to SNC, Boeing, and Textron subsidiary Beechcraft in partnership with Leonardo.

With nearly 30,000 copies envisioned, even among a spending spree for munitions, the Air Force’s Family of Affordable Mass Missile stands out.

Marines could begin operational testing with drone wingmen in 2029, and in the future could conduct their own intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in lieu of contractors, officials said during the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington.

An Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense following the hearing that there are seven E-11s in the current fleet, and confirmed that the plan is to replace them with the emerging DAF (Department of the Air Force) Battle Network.

The Boeing E-7 Wedgetail previously faced the axe under the Trump administration, but pressure from lawmakers and a new “mindset” at the Pentagon have revived its prospects. By Michael Marrow on May 12, 2026 12:13 pm Share Options Share a link to this article

“There is, I think, a burgeoning interest across the broader defense industrial base on what comes next,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Luke Cropsey.

“It's a lot of money. Some of us watch that money very carefully,” said Rep. Clay Higgins. By Michael Marrow on May 14, 2026 2:30 pm Share Options Share a link to this article

The North Carolina lawmaker has sponsored a trio of bills aimed at boosting fighter jet inventory and retaining pilots.

Sen. Budd hopeful airpower bills added to NDAA

The Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program is now projected to complete prototyping work in 2031, a cumulative delay of three years compared to earlier projections. By Michael Marrow on May 26, 2026 11:43 am Share Options Share a link to this article