President Joe Biden still hopes to shift to a “sole purpose” policy for nuclear weapons in the future, even as his administration’s new Nuclear Posture Review preserves the U.S.’s longstanding policy of “flexible deterrence,” a top Pentagon official said. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin ...
Missile Warning & Defense
The Space Force’s sixth and final satellite in the Space-Based Infrared System heads to geosynchronous orbit as soon as Aug. 4, the faraway orbit offering a wide view of Earth to detect missile launches in the atmosphere. The sixth satellite in the constellation adds “crucial fortification ...
As the Space Development Agency looks to capitalize on innovation from the fast-expanding commercial space market, the agency's leaders have said they want to constantly have open competitions for the tranches of new satellites projected for every two years. But the SDA’s approach isn’t just increasing ...
The Space Development Agency awarded L3Harris and Northrop Grumman Strategic Space Systems contracts to build Tranche 1 of the Tracking Layer for its planned National Defense Space Architecture, a multipurpose defense constellation. Each company will build 14 low-Earth-orbit satellites to detect and track the infrared ...
U.S. Northern Command’s homeland cruise missile detection and defenses must be upgraded to respond to new threats, experts say, and a major D.C. think tank proposes a multi-layered defense that would require fewer Air Force fighters in the air and use new E-7 Wedgetails, the ...
At Thule Air Base, Greenland, 695 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the ice has broken, and the once-yearly resupply and construction season has begun under 24 hours of daylight. Renovations have begun on half-century-old dormitories, and favorite sundries such as Lucky Charms cereal keep ...
The Pentagon announced an $820 million aid package to Ukraine that includes the same advanced Norwegian air defense system used to protect the White House. Coupling that with recently arrived multiple-launch rocket systems, the Defense Department said it expects rapid battlefield gains in the Donbas ...
A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.
The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine is highlighting new use-cases for ISR as well as the advantages of integrating a hybrid approach—multiple types of ISR imaging satellites—to capture a fuller picture of developing threats.