🚀 Blue Origin hires United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno to head its national security group

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🚀 Blue Origin hires United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno to head its national security group — Read More

🎯 Chinese forces fielding intercontinental anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. West Coast, Pentagon says — Read More

🛩️ Inside the Air Force plan to start a one-way attack drone unit — Read More

🤖 Ukraine approves ground robot with key grenade launchers, maker says — Read More

💥 Germany tests new drone-warhead strike package — Read More

🎱 Plus 9 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🚀 Blue Origin hires United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno to head its national security group — Read More

• Blue Origin tapped longtime United Launch Alliance chief Tory Bruno to serve as president of a newly created National Security Group, a clear signal that the company wants to expand its defense and classified-space footprint. Blue Origin said Bruno will report to CEO Dave Limp, who framed the hire as accelerating “supporting our nation” with technology Blue Origin can build and field.

• The hire ties directly to the BE-4 engine partnership Bruno announced alongside Jeff Bezos in 2014—an engine now powering both ULA’s Vulcan and Blue Origin’s New Glenn. The story notes that SpaceX has surged far ahead in launch cadence, underscoring why Blue Origin is adopting a more aggressive posture for national security launches and related missions.

• GeekWire points to near-term execution pressure: New Glenn has flown only twice, and Blue Origin still needs additional successful launches to complete Space Systems Command certification for national security missions. Bruno is expected to lead efforts to win more of those contracts. The piece also notes ULA leadership changes following Bruno’s departure announcement and the broader competitive churn in the U.S. launch.

🎯 Chinese forces fielding intercontinental anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. West Coast, Pentagon says — Read More

• A Pentagon report to Congress says China’s missile forces are fielding a new anti-ship ballistic missile described as capable of reaching targets as far as the U.S. West Coast, pushing China’s maritime strike threat well beyond the first and second island chains. The reporting frames the capability as an expansion of Beijing’s long-range precision-strike toolkit aimed at deterring or complicating U.S. naval operations.

• The missile cited is part of the DF-27 family and is described as capable of striking both land and maritime targets at very long ranges, putting high-value naval assets at risk far from China’s shores. In practical terms, that kind of reach is meant to stretch U.S. defensive geometry and compress decision timelines for carrier strike groups and other forces operating across the Pacific.

• The same Pentagon assessment environment also stresses China’s broader modernization trajectory, including rapid growth in missile forces and supporting surveillance/targeting infrastructure that can enable long-range kill chains. Even if operational effectiveness depends on sensors, communications, and targeting updates to engage moving ships, the headline point is strategic: Beijing is signaling that it wants credible tools to hold U.S. forces at risk at extreme distances.

🛩️ Inside the Air Force plan to start a one-way attack drone unit — Read More

• The Air Force is standing up its first experimental “one-way attack” (OWA) unit as it tries to move faster on attritable, expendable strike systems designed for high-threat environments. The article describes OWAs as aircraft that carry a weapon, fly a mission, and do not return—built for lower cost and higher volume than traditional crewed platforms, with an emphasis on learning fast.

• Air Force Special Operations Command is the lead, with the first unit designated the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The unit’s early job is to test tactics, techniques, and procedures—how operators plan missions, command and control systems, and integrate OWAs into larger operational packages—before the service commits to broader force-structure decisions.

• The piece connects the push to real-world wartime lessons, especially the widespread use of one-way drones in Ukraine and the need to saturate or stress modern air defenses. It also emphasizes the experimentation mindset: the Air Force wants to iterate quickly on what works, what breaks, and what is actually affordable at scale, rather than locking into a single concept too early.

🤖 Ukraine approves ground robot with key grenade launchers, maker says — Read More

• Ukraine has approved a new domestically developed ground robot, DEVdroid, for military use, according to its maker, which says the platform can mount grenade launchers and operate remotely in combat zones. The approval reflects Kyiv’s ongoing push to field more unmanned ground systems that reduce exposure for troops while still delivering firepower where infantry would otherwise be at higher risk.

• The manufacturer says DEVdroid is designed for frontline practicality—mobility over rough terrain, remote operation, and modular payload options. Outfitting it with grenade launchers suggests a role in close-in fighting, including trench lines or urban edges, where indirect explosive effects can be decisive but dangerous to employ from exposed positions.

• Business Insider frames DEVdroid as part of a broader Ukrainian pattern: rapid testing, quick approvals, and fielding of unmanned systems driven by combat demand. The underlying logic is force protection and tempo—use robots for the most hazardous movements and engagements, preserve trained soldiers, and keep pressure on adversary positions even under persistent drone and artillery threat.

💥 Germany tests new drone-warhead strike package — Read More

• Germany is testing a new strike package that pairs a “kamikaze” drone with a fresh warhead configuration to improve lethality and target flexibility. The article positions the effort as part of Europe’s accelerating interest in loitering munitions—systems that can be launched quickly, orbit an area, identify targets, and deliver a final dive attack without requiring an aircraft to return.

• The piece emphasizes design choices that make the warhead more mission-adaptable, framing it as a response to the realities of modern battlefields, where targets range from exposed infantry to lightly armored vehicles and fortified positions. It also highlights how warhead integration is becoming a differentiator, not just airframes—payload engineering increasingly determines what these drones can actually defeat.

• NextGenDefense ties the tests to broader momentum: European militaries are moving from observation to procurement and experimentation, using wartime lessons from Ukraine to guide requirements. The theme is speed and scale—fielding systems that are cheaper than traditional missiles, usable by smaller units, and effective in contested environments where precision and rapid kill chains matter.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• UK launches “Gap Year” programme — Read More

• Boeing wins B-52 engine replacement — Read More

• Poland scrambles fighter jets after Putin hits Kyiv ahead of Trump-Zelensky talks — Read More

🛡️ Land

• Seven laser weapons that defined the defense landscape in 2025 — Read More

• Indonesia turns palm oil waste into military-grade armor — Read More

• Poland unveils “Invisible Shield” that shuts off drones without chaotic blasts — Read More

• Kizilelma drones pull off “world’s first” autonomous close-formation flight — Read More

🌊 Sea

• Homegrown power hits the water: Indonesia builds its own Arrowhead 140 frigate — Read More

• Carrier Strike Group Abraham Lincoln operating in Philippine Sea; USS Tripoli in East China Sea — Read More

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