April, 2026 - latestdefencenews.com

Fincantieri Advances Plan to Convert Italian Navy Patrol Ships into Full Combat Platforms

Fincantieri has entered into an agreement to enhance the Italian Navy Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura (PPA) fleet by upgrading the ships to a “full combat” standard. Managed by OCCAR, the...

Germany Awards Multi-Billion-Euro Contract to Rheinmetall for Loitering Munitions

The German Armed Forces has placed a multi-billion-euro framework order with Rheinmetall for the supply of FV-014 autonomous reconnaissance and strike drones. The contract carries an initial value of...

April 23, 2026
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R&D
Soldier Systems

US Army Initiates New Field Trials for Combat Role Enhancements

The United States Army has unveiled a new Combat Field Test (CFT), a physical assessment tailored to better align with the real-world demands of combat operations. Beginning this month,...

April 23, 2026
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R&D
Communication and Electronics

Lockheed Finishes Flight Testing of Upgraded E-2D Hawkeye Radar

Lockheed Martin has concluded flight trials of an upgraded radar subsystem for the US Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, marking a key step in enhancing the platform’s capabilities. In collaboration...

US Clears AIM-9X and Hellfire Missile Sales to NATO Partners

The US State Department has authorized two Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreements covering missile procurements and related support for Lithuania and the Netherlands, aimed at bolstering NATO’s collective defense...

April 22, 2026
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R&D
Air Platforms

Lockheed Martin and L3Harris to Establish F-35 Maintenance Hub in Canada

Lockheed Martin and MAS, the Canadian arm of L3Harris Technologies, have formalized plans to enhance cooperation by developing an F-35 sustainment depot in Mirabel, Quebec, aligning with Canada’s push...

April 22, 2026
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Procurement & Contracts
Air Platforms

Textron Wins USAF Contract for F-15 Defensive Sensor Testing

Textron Systems has been awarded a $9.5 million contract to support a US Air Force review of a critical defensive sensor on the F-15 Eagle platform. The project will...

April 22, 2026
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R&D
Communication and Electronics

Thales Unveils Navigation System Designed for High-Jamming Combat Zones

Thales Group is deploying its TopStar Smart Receiver, a next-generation navigation system engineered to deliver reliable Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in environments affected by intense electronic warfare (EW)...

US Army Grants $65M ATACMS Rocket Motor Deal to L3Harris

The US Army has issued a $65 million contract to L3Harris Technologies for the production of rocket motors supporting the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) program. The contract covers...

April 22, 2026
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Mergers & JV
Unmanned Systems

Anduril and Kraken Partner to Develop Scalable US Navy Unmanned Surface Vessels

Anduril Industries and Kraken Technology Group have teamed up to support the US Navy with a new range of compact unmanned surface vessels (USVs), designed to deliver flexibility in...