By the end of this decade, the Air Force could begin equipping up to nine bases with self-sufficient nuclear microreactors as part of an effort to unplug from local commercial power grids and satisfy a growing demand for secure, reliable power sources that are more ...
For three years now, the Pentagon has dug into its arsenal and spent massive sums backing Ukraine against Russia’s invasion; now it may see a return on that investment by embracing the post-Soviet country’s battle-tested way of drone warfare.
The first iteration of the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative should achieve its goals of providing thousands of cheap, autonomous platforms in all combat domains by July 2025, the deputy director of the Defense Innovation Unit said Dec. 12.
U.S. military leaders must embrace flexibility, train the next generation, and hold themselves accountable if the Pentagon hopes to deliver cutting-edge weapons and vehicles to the battlefield in a timely manner, three former defense officials said in a report released Sept. 25.
Anduril Industries announced a new family of air-breathing cruise missiles intended to be low-cost and producible in large numbers. The “Barracuda” series is meant to flesh out anemic U.S. weapon inventories so munitions aren't exhausted in the first few weeks of an air campaign.
The Enterprise Test Vehicles being evaluated by the Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit are chiefly aimed at exploring modular technologies and rapid manufacturing approaches, not necessarily producing a weapon, Pentagon officials said. But the door is open to such an outcome if the program ...
Four companies will explore rapidly- and mass-produced drone concepts under the Enterprise Test Vehicle program being conducted by the Air Force’s Armament Directorate and the Defense Innovation Unit. The concepts, which are to fly this summer, are to make use of commercial, off-the-shelf, or easy-to-obtain ...
The Pentagon plans to field thousands of drones in the sea, in the air, and possibly on land to counter the large size of China’s military under its new Replicator Initiative. And the Department of Defense’s No. 2 official insists the DOD needs no new ...
The Space Force is expanding its effort to be able to launch a satellite into orbit on a moment’s notice, with help from the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. The two organizations put out a solicitation to industry Aug. 24 for its next “tactically responsive space” mission, ...
Space is taking on more responsibilities for the U.S. military. Next on the agenda: cargo. A June 30 solicitation from the Defense Innovation Unit is seeking “novel commercial solutions that enable responsive and precise point-to-point delivery of cargo to, from, and through space.” If successful, ...
The House Armed Services Committee's top Democrat endorsed a new Pentagon legislative proposal designed to work around Congressional gridlock to field new technologies faster. Spearheaded by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the DOD is seeking a "rapid response" authority that would allow initial work to ...
A small Air Force team at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is working on solutions to mitigate one of U.S. Central Command’s primary issues: doing more with less. As part of a broader push in CENTCOM towards what leaders call “a culture of innovation,” ...