🥷 U.S. Military Seeks Stealthier, Smarter Tech to Defeat Drones

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🧩 Hegseth Orders 20% Cut to Senior Military Leadership Roles LINK

🔥 Pentagon Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle LINK

🚫 DoD Launches Replicator 2.0 Prize Challenge to Combat Drone Threats LINK

🥷 U.S. Military Seeks Stealthier, Smarter Tech to Defeat Drones LINK

🚀 RAF Tests New Stormshroud Autonomous Aircraft for Combat Support LINK

🎱 Plus 8 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🧩 Hegseth Orders 20% Cut to Senior Military Leadership Roles LINK

• Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth has mandated a 20% reduction in senior military leadership positions, including general officer and SES roles.

• The move aims to streamline command structures, improve decision-making speed, and reallocate leadership resources to operational units.

• The cuts are part of a broader transformation initiative to make the military more agile, accountable, and mission-focused.

🔥 Pentagon Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle LINK

• The DoD validated the reusability of its hypersonic test vehicle in a recent flight, a critical step toward lowering the cost of testing and accelerating innovation.

• The system was recovered successfully after achieving hypersonic conditions, marking a major engineering milestone.

• The test supports DoD goals to conduct more frequent and affordable hypersonic experiments.

🚫 DoD Launches Replicator 2.0 Prize Challenge to Combat Drone Threats LINK

• The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) kicked off a new Replicator 2.0 initiative focused on counter-uncrewed aerial systems (CUAS).

• This includes a $500,000 prize challenge to develop breakthrough capabilities for defeating small drone threats.

• The effort emphasizes rapid acquisition and fielding of commercially derived technology to bolster U.S. defenses.

🥷 U.S. Military Seeks Stealthier, Smarter Tech to Defeat Drones LINK

• U.S. defense leaders are investing in more discreet and intelligent drone-killing technologies, including silent lasers and advanced electronic warfare.

• Future CUAS systems aim to integrate faster AI-driven detection, electronic spoofing, and kinetic takedowns in one package.

• The focus is on minimizing collateral disruption and enhancing survivability in contested environments.

🚀 RAF Tests New Stormshroud Autonomous Aircraft for Combat Support LINK

• The UK Royal Air Force has initiated testing of the Stormshroud, a next-generation autonomous support aircraft designed to operate alongside crewed platforms.

• Built for missions like ISR and jamming, the Stormshroud enhances force survivability through low observability and adaptable payloads.

• The aircraft is a product of the RAF’s push to integrate artificial intelligence into operational airframes.

🌏 Other Important News

• Ukraine and NATO Advance FPV Drone Projects Using Fiber Optics LINK

• Hegseth Reaffirms China Deterrence Strategy for Hemispheric Security LINK

• Iran Unveils New Ballistic Missile Amid Regional Tensions LINK

• Pentagon Freezes Navy Hiring for Prevention Workforce Expansion LINK

• Rep. Arrington Proposes Eliminating RMF for DoD Software LINK

• Air Force Says Sentinel ICBM Program Requires Brand New Silos LINK

• CBO Estimates Space-Based Missile Defense Could Cost $542B LINK

• U.S. Deploys New Missile Warning Ground System LINK

Thanks for reading today’s Defense Brief. If you haven’t already, subscribe and share with others to stay up to date on the latest defense news.