Anduril Secures $642M Contract for Marine Corps Counter-Drone Systems

In Today’s Defense Brief:

💸 Anduril Secures $642M Contract for Marine Corps Counter-Drone Systems

🚢 Pentagon Proposes Annual Acquisition of Four Foreign-Built Ships

📈 GOP Stopgap Funding Bill Increases Defense Budget Beyond FY24 Levels

🌓 China Advances Manned Lunar Program for 2030 Moon Landing

🚀 Northrop and USAF Complete Sentinel ICBM Motor Test

📰 Full Breakdown:

💸 Anduril Secures $642M Contract for Marine Corps Counter-Drone Systems Link

• Anduril has been awarded a potential 10-year, $642.2 million contract to provide counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) for the U.S. Marine Corps.​

• The contract aims to enhance the detection, tracking, and neutralization of small drones threatening Marine Corps installations.​

• The focus is on non-kinetic countermeasures, such as electromagnetic and acoustic disruptions, to safely divert or disable hostile drones.​

🚢 Pentagon Proposes Annual Acquisition of Four Foreign-Built Ships Link

• The Pentagon's logistics chief has proposed purchasing four foreign-built ships annually to address the U.S. military's sealift capacity shortfall.​

• This strategy aims to rapidly modernize the aging fleet by integrating commercially available vessels from international markets.​

• The plan seeks to enhance the military's global deployment capabilities amid increasing geopolitical tensions.​

📈 GOP Stopgap Funding Bill Increases Defense Budget Beyond FY24 Levels Link

• House Republicans have advanced a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown, proposing a $6 billion increase in defense spending over fiscal year 2024 levels.​

• The bill also proposes a $13 billion reduction in non-defense discretionary spending and excludes funding for community projects.​

• The measure faces opposition from Democrats, who argue it could lead to significant cuts in social programs, and its success in the Senate remains uncertain.​

🌓 China Advances Manned Lunar Program for 2030 Moon Landing Link

• China is progressing steadily toward its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030, with key mission components entering the prototype development stage.​

• The mission will involve the Long March 10 heavy-lift rocket, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, the Lanyue lunar lander, the Wangyu lunar suit, and the Tansuo lunar rover.​

• Construction of essential test and launch infrastructure is underway at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.​

🚀 Northrop and USAF Complete Sentinel ICBM Motor Test Link

• Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force have conducted a full-scale static fire test of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile's stage-one solid fuel rocket motor.​

• This test marks a significant step in modernizing the land-based component of the U.S. nuclear triad, aiming to replace the aging Minuteman III ICBM system.

• The Sentinel program is part of a broader effort to enhance national security through advanced missile technology.​

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