⚡️ Pentagon Authorizes Laser Strike on Suspected Drone Near El Paso Airspace

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🧛 L3Harris VAMPIRE System Successfully Fires Laser-Guided Rockets in Poland

🎧 Silynxcom Debuts AI-Enabled Tactical Headset for Advanced Drone Detection

⚡️ Pentagon Authorizes Laser Strike on Suspected Drone Near El Paso Airspace

🤖 Marine Corps Taps General Atomics for Collaborative Combat Aircraft Development

🚀 U.S. Army Advances Rocket-Assisted Projectiles for Extended Artillery Range

🎱 Plus 23 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🧛 L3Harris Expands VAMPIRE Anti-Drone Line with New Specialized Variants — Read More

• L3Harris Technologies has significantly expanded its VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) family, introducing six new specialized variants designed for land, maritime, and aerial domains. Building on the combat success of the baseline system in Ukraine, these new models—including the "Stalker XR" for extended land range and the "Black Wake" for maritime defense—aim to provide a low-cost, modular solution against proliferating unmanned threats.

• The updated portfolio incorporates advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate the "find-fix-finish" loop, allowing operators to detect and engage elusive Class 1 and 2 drones more efficiently. Key features across the line include the WESCAM MX-10D targeting sensor and the Widow Mission Management System, which ensure high-definition precision and interoperability with existing NATO command-and-control architectures.

• To further enhance mission flexibility, L3Harris recently demonstrated the successful integration of Thales Belgium’s 70mm FZ275 laser-guided rockets with the VAMPIRE platform during live-fire testing in Poland. This demonstration proved that the system can rapidly adapt to different munitions, offering international customers a scalable and "palletized" defense capability that can be mounted on standard pickup trucks or naval vessels within hours.

🎧 Israeli Elite Units Field-Test Tactical Headset with Integrated Drone Detection — Read More

• Silynxcom has announced the successful field evaluation of its next-generation CLARUS II tactical headset by elite NATO counter-terrorism units and Israeli Defense Forces. The system represents a paradigm shift in personal protective equipment, integrating advanced hearing protection and multi-network communications with a proprietary "Drone Detection" feature that alerts the individual soldier to the high-frequency acoustic signatures of approaching hostile quadcopters.

• The CLARUS II is engineered to address the "triple challenge" of the modern battlefield: protecting the wearer from high-decibel combat noise, maintaining clear communication across up to three independent networks, and amplifying critical environmental cues. By utilizing "HearThru" technology, the headset selectively filters out harmful impulses while sharpening the operator's awareness of life-threatening sounds, such as the faint hum of a loitering munition.

• Developed from real-world lessons learned in recent urban combat operations, the headset features an ergonomic, ambidextrous design that supports both standalone battery power and device-powered operation. Military officials view this as a vital tool for dismounted infantry and armored vehicle crews, providing a 360-degree auditory "early warning system" that functions even in high-noise environments where traditional electronic sensors might be unavailable.

⚡️ Pentagon Anti-Drone Laser Downs Suspected Mexican Cartel Drone Near El Paso — Read More

• The Pentagon authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection to utilize a high-energy counter-drone laser to neutralize a suspected Mexican drug cartel drone near El Paso, Texas. The operation led to a brief but unprecedented FAA closure of the regional airspace, as the military coordinated the use of directed-energy weapons in a domestic corridor. The incident highlights the growing use of UAS by cartels for cross-border surveillance and smuggling operations.

• While the administration initially framed the move as a swift response to a national security threat, the episode drew criticism for a lack of transparency and initial confusion regarding the target. Subsequent reports suggested the object might have been a mylar party balloon, though the Pentagon maintained the necessity of testing these laser systems near Fort Bliss to ensure they can effectively counter the sophisticated drone tactics currently evolving along the southern border.

• The deployment of such technology domestically marks a significant escalation in the use of high-tech kinetic defenses against non-state actors. Border officials have long warned that cartels are employing drones not just for reconnaissance, but potentially as delivery platforms for illicit goods. This event underscores the urgent need for a unified regulatory framework between the FAA and the Department of Defense to manage directed-energy use in shared civilian airspace.

🤖 General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Wingman Drone Achieves Milestone Autonomy Flight — Read More

• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) successfully completed a four-hour semi-autonomous mission with its YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The test, conducted earlier this month, utilized RTX Collins’ "Sidekick" autonomy software, demonstrating that the drone can execute complex mission commands with minimal human oversight. This flight is a critical step in the Air Force's effort to pair manned fighters with robotic wingmen for future high-end conflicts.

• The YFQ-42A is part of a "genus/species" design approach, which uses a common core chassis to build multiple mission-specific variants rapidly. During the test, a ground-based operator transmitted high-level mission goals that the aircraft interpreted and executed autonomously using open-architecture software. This modularity allows the service to "mix and match" different autonomy suites from various vendors without being locked into a single proprietary hardware-software ecosystem.

• GA-ASI has flown multiple CCA prototypes in less than six months, validating the rapid manufacturing techniques required to deliver "affordable mass" to the fleet. The YFQ-42A is specifically optimized for air-to-air combat and sensing roles, providing a stealthy, attritable asset that can protect high-value manned aircraft like the F-35 while carrying external weapon stores and advanced electronic warfare payloads to saturate contested battlespaces.

🚀 U.S. Army Tests Next-Gen Rocket-Assisted Artillery to Extend Lethal Reach — Read More

• The U.S. Army has begun live-fire testing of the Next Generation Rocket Assisted Projectile (NGRAP) at Yuma Proving Ground. This new 155mm artillery shell is designed to replace the aging M549A1 rounds, which have been in service since the 1970s. The primary goal of the NGRAP is to provide conventional howitzer units with a significant range increase, potentially exceeding the current 30-kilometer limit for standard rocket-assisted fire.

• Engineering teams are subjecting the NGRAP to extreme "stress tests" by using maximum propellant charges to push the projectile through the highest permissible pressures. These tests evaluate the structural integrity of the round's new one-piece joint design and the performance of its significantly larger rocket motor. Data collected from high-speed cameras and internal pressure gauges will determine the round's compatibility with future long-range cannon systems.

• The NGRAP program is a cornerstone of the Army's Long Range Precision Fires modernization priority, aimed at ensuring overmatch against pacing adversaries in large-scale combat operations. By extending the range of existing M777 and M109 systems, the Army hopes to provide divisional commanders with the ability to strike high-value targets from safer standoff distances while maintaining the high volume of fire characteristic of traditional tube artillery.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• India releases DAP 2026 to streamline procurement of Rafale and other major systems — Read More

• Flight tests validate "mix-and-match" modular approach to CCA wingman autonomy — Read More

• Another V-22 Osprey makes emergency landing as military rushes to fix mechanical woes — Read More

• Dronamics resurrects Bulgaria’s "Black Swan" cargo UAS for regional logistics — Read More

• German firms Helsing and Hensoldt team up on AI for European CCA programs — Read More

• Turkish Aerospace in final stages of KAAN fighter partnership talks with Riyadh — Read More

• U.S. and NATO exercise rehearses taking out 1,500 targets daily to overwhelm enemies — Read More

• Australian researchers 3D-print hypersonic airframes using advanced alloys — Read More

• DOD Hypersonics Office makes six Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards — Read More

🛡️ Land

• TSA and Dow create streamlined process to ease military recruits' journey to basic training — Read More

• Estonians visit Saudi Arabia for first steps in potential defense procurement partnership — Read More

🌊 Sea

• Navy "SWO Boss" envisions Zumwalt power systems supporting high-energy lasers — Read More

• CNO Franchetti emphasizes industrial speed: "I need my stuff on time" — Read More

• Navy mulls new "Robotic and Autonomous Warfighter" rating to integrate drones — Read More

• SECNAV Phelan hints FY27 shipbuilding budget could double 2026 vessel totals — Read More

• Navy to experiment with "tailored force pairing" during Theodore Roosevelt deployment — Read More

• Destroyer USS Truxtun and oiler USNS Supply collide during SOUTHCOM operations — Read More

• Navy leadership urges opening doors to industry for rapid RAS acquisitions — Read More

• Cybercom 2.0 overhaul could provide blueprint for Navy tech talent identification — Read More

• Navy plans increased cybersecurity investment in FY27 budget request — Read More

🛰️ Space

• Project Hecate: Space Force's quiet effort to ensure GPS survivability after 2040 — Read More

• Space Force deploys GSSAP sensor despite SRM anomaly during USSF-87 launch — Read More

🏭 Industry

• HASC Chair optimistic that FY27 budget request will arrive by March — Read More

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