https://www.commondef.com Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:09:11+0000 en-us hourly 1 https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/f-22-pilot-takes-command-of-unmanned-yfq-44a-in-breakthrough-flight-test/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106715 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Julian Dorsett An F-22 pilot successfully commanded Anduril’s unmanned YFQ-44A Fury in flight, directing maneuvers and simulated combat tasks as the Air Force advances plans for 500 systems ready for combat by 2032. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/china-surges-past-us-in-naval-shipbuilding-with-more-than-twice-the-tonnage/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106716 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Bethany Loveland China dominated naval construction during 2024 and 2025, producing more than twice the American tonnage as lawmakers warned that U.S. shipbuilding delays and bottlenecks could hinder efforts to keep pace with Beijing’s expanding fleet. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/israel-locks-in-12-apache-gunships-with-a-dramatic-final-hour-maneuver/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106726 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Israel secured 12 advanced Apache “Echo” attack helicopters after American officials opened a “final window” and an urgent Cabinet phone vote resolved the funding dispute that had threatened Boeing’s available production slot. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/pentagon-ignored-cybersecurity-flaws-before-massive-data-breach-marines-allege/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106710 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy Two Marines allege the Pentagon ignored cybersecurity weaknesses that left millions of sensitive files exposed for approximately nine months, leading to fraudulent charges, increased spam and continuing risks involving identity theft and financial fraud. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/uss-abraham-lincoln-set-for-major-home-port-shift-to-naval-base-kitsap-bremerton/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106705 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Common Defense Staff The USS Abraham Lincoln will permanently relocate from San Diego to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton later this year, bringing its crew and families to Washington following an extended deployment, major combat operations and months of uncertainty about the move. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/air-force-unveils-1509-fighter-fleet-blueprint-for-2035/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106700 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy The Air Force says 1,509 combat coded fighters will be needed by 2035, but reaching that target depends on congressional funding, expanded industry production and decisions involving future aircraft purchases. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/pentagon-ai-oversight-office-stumbles-while-department-ambitions-race-ahead/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106695 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Julian Dorsett The Pentagon is accelerating artificial intelligence adoption while its responsible AI office remains understaffed, major implementation efforts remain incomplete, and an oversight council operates without a formal charter defining its duties or meeting schedule. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/navy-seals-behind-the-terminal-list-reveal-the-secrets-of-its-climactic-sniper-battle/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106689 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Former Navy SEALs Jared Shaw and Kenny Sheard shaped a climactic sniper duel for the second season of Amazon’s “The Terminal List,” emphasizing range cards, targeting computers, vapor trails, and the demanding corrections behind long distance shooting. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/pentagon-and-bae-strike-major-deal-for-up-to-25000-precision-guidance-kits-a-year/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106720 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy The War Department and BAE have established a framework for up to 25,000 APKWS kits annually, with allied production potentially reaching 35,000, as Congress considers funding and the parties negotiate a multiyear contract. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/australia-kicks-medium-range-air-defense-drive-into-high-gear/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106729 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy Australia has opened an international competition for a medium range air defense system capable of countering ballistic missiles and subsonic threats, with vendor selection planned by late 2027 and initial operational capability expected in the early 2030s. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/armys-new-college-style-dining-halls-see-meal-traffic-explode/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106686 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Army dining halls modeled after college cafeterias are posting major traffic gains, while expanded takeout service and flexible $39 daily meal allowances give soldiers more control over when and how they eat. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/arizona-guard-takes-point-with-first-gray-eagle-25m-drone-unit/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106636 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy Arizona will receive eight Gray Eagle 25Ms by September 2027 and four more by the end of 2029, becoming the first state Guard to establish a unit equipped with the modernized unmanned aircraft system. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/weaponized-light-takes-aim-as-kbr-pits-mobile-lasers-against-drone-threats/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106633 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Bethany Loveland The Pentagon will test KBR’s Firefly laser at military installations for one year, examining whether Xbox controlled directed energy weapons can give service members a practical and less expensive answer to hostile drones. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/u-s-special-operations-adopts-new-mitr-half-mask-and-goggles-against-toxic-threats/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106627 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Common Defense Staff U.S. Special Operations units are receiving the MITR half-mask and goggle system, a lightweight alternative to full-face respirators designed to protect against fentanyl, drug lab chemicals, biological hazards and other toxic materials. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/army-fields-sweeping-new-system-to-transform-munitions-planning-and-management/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106620 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy The Army’s new TACTMIS platform will replace TAMIS after its Oct. 30 retirement, giving more than 10,000 users modern tools for managing munitions requirements, authorizations, forecasts, expenditures and future classified combat reporting. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/u-s-army-eyes-g-ator-missile-killing-radar-as-marine-demand-surges/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106616 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Common Defense Staff The Army has begun engaging with Northrop Grumman over G/ATOR as the Marine Corps fields the mobile radar, praises its performance, and considers buying more systems to counter drones, cruise missiles, artillery, and other airborne threats. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/army-acquisition-command-caps-fiscal-2026-with-massive-6-8-billion-contract-awards/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106614 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer The Army’s Mission and Installation Contracting Command awarded $6.8 billion across 21,450 contracts in fiscal 2026, directing $2.9 billion to American small businesses while expanding modernization efforts despite a 30% personnel reduction. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/army-humanoid-robot-showdown-tests-future-battlefield-potential/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106610 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Julian Dorsett The Army’s xTechHumanoid competition tested robots, batteries, software and sensors in military scenarios, revealing meaningful commercial progress while exposing substantial gaps between current technology and the service’s most ambitious operational requirements. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/pentagon-secures-sweeping-compliance-as-universities-cut-risky-foreign-research-ties/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106608 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Common Defense Staff All 30 universities complied with a War Department research security order, producing more than 80 termination related actions involving foreign entities and earning seven institutions special recognition for moving beyond minimum federal requirements. https://www.commondef.com/2026/10/hegseth-taps-medal-of-honor-hero-dakota-meyer-for-sweeping-barracks-accountability-mission/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=106605 2026-10-23T9:01:09+00:00 Frank Guy Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer will inspect military barracks nationwide, meet service members and report solutions to War Secretary Pete Hegseth as the Pentagon confronts neglected housing and an estimated $285 billion maintenance backlog.