Defense Systems

Virtually all of the Army’s weapons are affected by delayed or backordered parts—and mismatched computer systems are largely to blame. And it’s only been a month since a new digital tool has started to replicate that. “Our supply chain…

The Navy wants to buy its first next-generation guided missile destroyer by 2032, but first there are there are some details that need to be hammered out for replacing the trusty Arleigh Burke-class ships the service has fielded since the…

Instead of juggling reports from around the Navy to stay up-to-date on the fleet, these days the chief of naval operations can pull up a monitoring tool on her computer to find exactly what she’s looking for.Now part of her weekly routine,…

Spy agency ready to launch new vehicle-tracking satellites After tests go well, NRO director looks to start replacing JSTARS aircraft with orbital sensors.Audrey Decker, Staff WriterMeet the Air Force’s secretive long-range drone that flies…

The Army is doubling down on its data plans with a new four-year, $619 million contract with Palantir that promises to keep current features that help commanders learn more about their troops, while expanding the AI-powered Vantage platform…

The U.S. military’s V-22 Ospreys will be cleared to fly after each aircraft is inspected to assess their prop-rotor gearboxes, a part connected to a deadly 2023 crash, and operating limits are being imposed on new gearboxes.Earlier this…

The Air Force may cut short its planned purchases of F-35 jets, depending on how newer development efforts go, the service’s outgoing secretary said Thursday.“Our inventory objective for the F-35 is . I don't know what we'll end up buying,…

ORLANDO, Fla.—It took some adjustment to nestle the heel of the M4 rifle in the pocket of my shoulder. I lined up the iron sights with the bullseye and squeezed the trigger three times in quick succession. The rifle bucked and the…

The Navy never wanted to modernize its Ticonderoga guided-missile cruisers, preferring to spend the money on newer ships and technology. But lawmakers balked at losing hulls and missile tubes, and ordered the service to refit some of its…

The Marine Corps is pouring $269 million into a secretive project to upgrade the service’s tactical systems to better integrate across agencies, and another $715 million to design and test its new littoral warfighting systems.The two…