The D Brief: Cost of the DC Guard mission; Shipyard reports production rise; US dronemakers in Asia; Carrier clears builder’s trials; And a bit more. Defense February 6, 2026 The president’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., is costing taxpayers $1.65 million daily, a total of…
Three firms move ahead in Army’s future-of-flight-training helicopter training takeover Defense February 6, 2026 The Army has cleared three companies to bid on the service’s plan to outsource initial helicopter pilot training, despite some…
Pentagon leaders should have more control over services’ tech budgets, GAO suggests Defense February 6, 2026 The Pentagon could further accelerate its technology purchasing if the services’ emerging-tech budget requests flowed through the office of the…
HII CEO touts productivity gains—but says new contracts are needed to sustain progress Defense February 6, 2026 The U.S. military’s largest shipbuilder reported increased production in 2025, but said submarine-building schedules could slip if the Navy doesn’t…
Defense Business Brief: The case for more ground stations | Drone dominance | SDA’s reality check? Defense February 5, 2026 Rockets and satellites draw the spotlight, sure, but could 2026 be the year the ground stations that command them get…
The D Brief: New START expires; Restoring a mil-to-mil tie; US, Iran to talk; CENTCOM hits ISIS; And a bit more. Defense February 5, 2026 New START expires: The treaty limits on the world’s largest nuclear arsenals are gone. The 15-year-old New START treaty expired at…
Fears of a nuclear arms race rise as New START expires Defense February 5, 2026 The Feb. 5 expiration of the last key U.S.-Russia arms-control agreement, combined with uncertainty about the U.S. commitment to defend…
The D Brief: US downs Iranian UAV; Army to host drone competition; Guardsmen in civvies at ICE jail; Hegseth threatens Scouts; And a bit more. Defense February 4, 2026 A U.S. F-35 shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday: a Shahed-139 that was flying toward the carrier Abraham Lincoln…
Pakistan’s burgeoning arms industry is a strategic opportunity for the US Defense February 3, 2026 U.S. policymakers need to energize their engagement with the midtier arms producers fighting for a larger slice of the global…
Partial shutdown ends less than four days after it began—except for DHS Defense February 3, 2026 Federal agencies are set to reopen after the House on Tuesday approved a spending package funding those forced to close…
Space-based interceptors make even less sense now Defense February 3, 2026 The rationale behind Golden Dome’s mandate for space-based boost-phase defense made some sense. If orbiting interceptors could hit an enemy…
The D Brief: Munitions makers, investing; DOD’s new science board; Troops won’t go to MN; Venezuela plan reflects Iraq lessons; And a bit more. Defense February 3, 2026 American munitions makers are working to increase production capacity. Although Congress didn’t much bend to the White House’s last-minute request…
