💸 Boeing Wins Sixth-Gen Fighter NGAD Contract

In Today's Defense Brief:

🚀 Anduril Developing Rocket Motor for Army Long-Range Precision Artillery LINK

⚓️ Navy’s New Mandate: Refurbish, Renovate, Repair, Upgrade, Fix LINK

🪖 Army Unveils New Mariner and Mountaineer Badges LINK

🙅‍♂️ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Cuts $580M in Wasteful Contracts, Grants LINK

💸 Boeing Wins Sixth-Gen Fighter NGAD Contract; Lockheed Out LINK

📰 The Breakdown:

🚀 Anduril Developing Rocket Motor for Army Long-Range Precision Artillery LINK

• Anduril Industries has been awarded a contract to develop a new rocket motor for the Army’s long-range precision artillery system.

• The program aims to significantly increase range and accuracy, giving U.S. forces extended strike capabilities beyond current systems.

• This marks Anduril’s growing presence in core defense manufacturing, expanding beyond its AI and autonomy roots.

⚓️ Navy’s New Mandate: Refurbish, Renovate, Repair, Upgrade, Fix LINK

• The Navy has issued directives to overhaul existing ship fleets with a focus on upgrades rather than new builds.

• Efforts include modernizing aging vessels, improving combat systems, and extending ship lifespans to meet readiness demands.

• The move comes as budget constraints and operational needs push the service toward maximizing existing assets.

🪖 Army Unveils New Mariner and Mountaineer Badges LINK

• The Army introduced two new specialty badges: the Mariner Badge for watercraft operators and the Mountaineer Badge for high-altitude warfare specialists.

• These badges aim to formally recognize specialized skill sets crucial for expeditionary and joint operations.

• The rollout reflects the Army’s focus on multi-domain operations and unique mission readiness.

🙅‍♂️ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Cuts $580M in Wasteful Contracts, Grants LINK

• Secretary Hegseth announced the termination of $580 million in contracts and grants deemed unnecessary or politically motivated.

• The cuts target diversity and environmental programs he described as “mission-distracting” expenditures.

• Funds will be reallocated to weapons development and troop readiness initiatives.

💸 Boeing Wins Sixth-Gen Fighter NGAD Contract; Lockheed Out LINK

• Boeing secured the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) contract, beating Lockheed Martin.

• The award signals a major shift in sixth-generation fighter development, with Boeing leading the future air combat program.

• The decision reportedly followed personal advocacy from Defense Secretary Hegseth and President Trump for a “clean slate” approach.

🌍 Other Important News:

• Mysterious Missile Fired from Bradley IFV: A New Anti-Tank Capability? LINK

• Kratos Reveals Secret Hypersonic Drone Program LINK

• Boosting Lethality: Increasing Warfighting Readiness with the B-52 LINK

• New Military Academy for Space and Cyber Opens LINK

• U.S. Nuclear Attack Submarine Visits Australia LINK

• Canada’s F-35 Fighter Quagmire Has No Easy Fix LINK

• USS Carl Vinson Drills with Japanese, South Korean Forces; Moscow Draws Complaint LINK

• Australia Buys $125M Worth of MK-48 Torpedoes LINK

• Report to Congress on Navy Virginia-Class and AUKUS Submarine Program LINK

• European Air Defense Collaboration Expands with EISNet LINK

• ADASI’s New Powertech P145i Engine for UAVs Unveiled LINK

• Pentagon Recruiting Impacted by Military DEI Purge LINK

• SecDef Hegseth Extends USS Harry S. Truman Deployment; Carl Vinson Heading to CENTCOM LINK

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