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Defense One
The Navy wants to crowdsource innovation
Two decades ago, the Pentagon’s blue-sky research agency jump-started an industry-wide scramble for self-driving cars with a pair of annual contests. These initial DARPA Grand Challenges led to events that sought breakthroughs in urban…
The D Brief: New frigate’s woes; F-35’s shrinking test fleet; Wicker’s spending plan; China’s…
The U.S. Navy's new frigate will be three years late and cost $22 billion, according to a revised assessment from the Government Accountability Office published Wednesday. Neither is exactly a surprise. Navy officials disclosed the…
China’s effort to take over Taiwan without firing a shot
China isn’t just trying to intimidate Taiwan militarily, it’s also working harder than ever before to make Taiwan’s leadership appear corrupt, public institutions look fragile, and the military seem weak in order to undermine public…
F-35 crash shrinks a tiny test fleet under stress
Updated: 4:21 p.m. ET.The Lightning II that crashed on Tuesday was one of very few F-35 developmental test aircraft, exacerbating a shortage that has in the past led to program delays.The aircraft, which was en route from Lockheed’s…
The D Brief: Putin, rattled; Gaza pier ops, suspended; F-35 crashes; Army’s drone experiments; And a…
Putin is rattled as NATO members warm to the idea of allowing Ukraine to attack bases deep inside Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday in Germany that he’s okay with Ukraine’s military using French-provided cruise missiles…
How the Space Force plans to surge a commercial fleet during wartime
In late 2022, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hamstrung a planned Ukrainian strike on Russian forces when he suddenly decided he didn't want his Starlink satellites involved. Now the Pentagon is trying to ensure that never happens again.A new program…
Across the Army, units lean into drone experimentation
In speech after speech, Army leaders have made it clear that they want more drones in more units. “We're going to see robotics inside the formation, on the ground and in the air,” Army Chief of Staff Randy George told Defense One in…
DARPA picks two firms to design a fast, runway-less airplane
The BELL SPRINT X-Plane concept The company also unveiled new concept art for the aircraft, displaying large vertical tilt rotors not dissimilar to the V-22 Osprey. Bell described its speed as more than 400 knots.On May 20, Aurora Flight…
A breakthrough could deepen US troops’ dependence on Chinese batteries
Many of the lithium-ion batteries that power much U.S. military gear are made in whole or in part in China. Now a Chinese lab is reporting a breakthrough that could increase Beijing’s control of the global market.That’s a problem. During…
The D Brief: Israel advances amid global outcry; 15 die in Russian strike on garden store; US pols…
Invading Israeli tanks and six brigades of troops are pouring into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, ignoring the pleas of protesters and select leaders and organizations around the world, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway—who have chosen…
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