2026 - latestdefencenews.com

January 9, 2026
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R&D
Unmanned Systems

HII Completes Initial Production of Lionfish Subsea Drone for US Navy

HII has completed the final base-year production phase of the Lionfish small unmanned underwater vehicle for the US Navy, advancing the service’s move toward expanded autonomous undersea operations. Awarded...

January 9, 2026
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Procurement & Contracts
Air Platforms

GE Aerospace Secures $1.4B Contract to Supply King Stallion Engines to US Marines

GE Aerospace has secured a $1.4 billion US Marine Corps contract to continue supplying T408 turboshaft engines for the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion helicopter. The latest award supports production...

Spain Deploys Crow Counter-Drone System to Lithuania

Spain has stationed its Crow counter-UAS system in Lithuania to support NATO efforts in detecting, tracking, and countering hostile or unauthorized drones that could threaten military assets or critical...

Kosovo Strengthens Anti-Tank Capabilities With Turkish-Made OMTAS Missiles

Kosovo has received another consignment of Turkish-made OMTAS anti-tank missiles, expanding its precision-strike capabilities as it continues to develop layered defenses against armored vehicles. The OMTAS (Orta Menzilli Tanksavar...

January 9, 2026
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R&D
Missile & Missile Defence

Northrop Grumman Introduces Digitally Modernized ICBM Target Vehicle

Northrop Grumman has completed the first launch of its newly digitized Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) target vehicle, a milestone intended to enhance US missile defense testing against emerging and...

US Navy Awards Raytheon $29.2M to Expand SM-6 Production

Raytheon has received a nearly $29.2 million contract modification from the US Navy to expand tooling and testing infrastructure for the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) All Up Round. The cost-plus-fixed-fee...

US Navy Awards $94M to Northrop Grumman to Strengthen Hypersonic Defense

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $94.3 million contract by the US Navy to develop and qualify a second-stage solid rocket motor for extended-range missile applications. As part of...

Royal Navy DragonFire Laser Program Progresses With $78M QinetiQ Deal

MBDA has awarded QinetiQ a £67 million ($78 million) contract to continue work on the laser source for the Royal Navy’s DragonFire directed-energy weapon, for which MBDA serves as...

January 8, 2026
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New Product Launches
Unmanned Systems

Ukraine Deploys New Ground Robot Designed for Intense Battlefield Operations

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has authorized the operational use of a new ground-based combat robot to limit soldier exposure in high-threat environments. Developed domestically, the Zmiy Droid 12.7...

January 8, 2026
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R&D
Weapons and Munition

EDGE Introduces Digital Protection Layer for Next-Gen Munitions

Advanced Concepts, a subsidiary of EDGE, is advancing munition safety through digitalization with its ESAD-50 electronic safety and arming device, which replaces mechanical safety mechanisms with software-controlled functionality. Designed...